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BIHBING  LIST  FEB  1     1922 


F 
5503 


EXPLANATION 


MAP,  PLATES, 


THE  Map  which  accompanies  this  volume  has  been 
compiled  from  the  best  authorities,  and  with  much  care. 
The  first  proofs  of  it  and  the  plates,  while  yet  incomplete, 
were  thrown  off  in  November,  1820,  and  sent  to  America 
as  a  pledge  that  my  work,  though  long  delayed  in  its  exe- 
cution, was  not  laid  aside;  and  that  I  was  still  true  to  the 
cause  of  Canada.  Owing  to  the  uueApeoted  and  extraor- 
dinary delay  since  then,  I  have  had  remarks  sent  home 
which  have  enabled  me  to  correct  some  errors;  and  in  the 
mean  time  the  surveys  made  during  the  government  of  the 
Duke  of  Richmond,  having  been  received  from  Upper 
Canada,  are  now  added,  including  more  than  fifty  town- 
ships. To  distinguish  these  from  others  I  have  caused 
their  names  to  be  engraved  upwards.  The  mischief  done 
by  the  Duke  of  Richmond  in  laying  out  so  many  town- 
ships fo,  settlement,  and  hurrying  poor  emigrants  into  the 
depths  of  the  wilderness,  without  thought  or  preparation, 
was  infinite:  discomfort,  want,  ague,  and  death.  In 
my  third  volume  the  miseries  experienced  by  poor  emi- 
grants, under  the  present  modes  of  settlement,  shall  be 

VOL.  i.  a 


ii  EXPLANATION   OF   THE  MAP,  &C# 

dwelt  upon,  and  remedies  pointed  out.  In  that  volume;, 
too,  my  own  method  of  laying  out  the  waste  lands  of  the 
crown,  and  for  making  roads  and  canals,  a  most  im- 
portant matter  indeed,  shall  be  fully  explained,  with  the 
aid  of  those  drawings  which  are  exhibited  on  the  spare 
spaces  of  the  map,  lettered  and  numbered  for  reference' 
A  dotted  line  running  through  Lake  Huron,  and  a  little 
way  into  Michigan  territory,  was  the  water  boundary  by 
the  old  surveys,  and  will  shew  how  very  inaccurate  these 
were.  The  waters  below  the  circle  in  which  the  word 
Toronto  is  written  have  not  yet  been  accurately  explored. 
The  plans  of  Kingston  and  York  Harbours  may  be  referred 
to  in  a  future  volume,  and  will  be  interesting  even  now. 
To  those  who  do  not  regard  expence,  and  wisb  to  save 
time,  Upper  Canada  is  best  approached  from  Britain  by 
way  of  New  York ;  and  for  the  traveller's  information,  I 
have  noted  along  the  great  leading  roads  through  the  state 
of  New  York,  &c.  the  distances  between  the  principal 
stages,  which  have  been  examined  in  that  country,  and  pro- 
nounced sufficiently  correct.  Lines  of  roads  through  Upper 
Canada  are  generally,  but  not  so  minutely,  correct,  as  I 
could  have  wished.  I  have  let  them  stand  as  taken  from  the 
Government  surveys,  with  a  few  additions.  I  travelled 
through  every  quarter  of  Upper  Canada;  and  twice,  by 
various  routes,  to  and  from  New  York ;  so  that  my  per- 
sonal knowledge  is  considerable.  No  where  in  Upper 
Canada  have  roads  been  yet  accurately  measured,  so  as  to 
admit  of  noting  distances,  in  miles,  between  stages. 

The  names  of  some  of  the  late  surveyed  townships  will 
be  found  variously  spelt  on  the  map,  and,  in  the  Act  of 
Parliament,  page  693,  of  vol.  II.  Whether  the  printer 
of  the  Statutes  of  Upper  Canada,  or  the  Government  Sur- 
veyor is  most  correct,  I  cannot  determine ;  but  the  reader, 
with  this  notice,  can  make  his  choice  between  these  au- 
thorities, 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  MAP,  £c.          iii 

The  views  of  the  Falls  of  Niagara  have  been  drawn  from 
my  penciling-  and  directions,  by  a  celebrated  artist,  land- 
scape painter  to  the  late  Queen  Charlotte,  and  author  of 
many  elegant  works ;  Mr,  Craig.  That  in  the  title  of  vo- 
lume first,  and  the  ground  sketch,  page  66,  have  been 
examined  in  Upper  Canada,  and  most  highly  approved  of. 
That  in  the  title  of  volume  second  I  know  will  be  still 
better  thought  of  by  those  who  have  visited  the  falls ;  and 
these  plates,  together  with  the  description  given  by  the 
Writer  of  the  Sketches,  page  65,  and  onward,  will,  I  hope* 
afford  the  British  public  some  faint  conception  of  the  sub- 
limest  scene-  on  earth ; — a  .  scene,  perhaps  designed  by 
providence,  to  tempt  us  across  the  Atlantic, — to  know, 
associate  with,  and  esteem  our  distant  fellow  men.  It  is 
my  sanguine  expectation,  that  we  shall  proceed  from 
England  to  America  by  steam  boats  in  less  than  twenty 
years,  speedily,  comfortably,  and  safely.  In  the  mean 
time  I  earnestly  wish  that  some  well-qualified  person  would 
go  abroad,  and  make  panorama  pictures  of  the  Falls 
and  Rapids  of  Niagara,  from  the  stations  marked  on  my 
ground  sketch  "  fine  view"  and  "  grand  view."  The  globe 
does  not  afford  more  intwieating  subjects,  and  the  pictures, 
exhibited  in  London,  would  pay  well.  My  wish  for  this 
is  ardent,  not  so  much  to  gratify  curiosity,  as  to  increase 
it ; — to  tempt  people  of  fashion  and  taste  across  the  At- 
lantic. The  Tour  of  Europe  has  become  stale.  Every 
flower  by  the  way  has  been  picked  up,  smelt,  and  flung 
aside.  The  Tour  of  the  West  would  be  found  a  thousand 
times  more  interesting,  instructive,  and  beneficial*  How 
delightful  to  cross  the  Atlantic  in  the  month  of  May :  to  be- 
hold vast  islands  of  ice ;  and  to  enjoy  a  day's  fishing  on  the 
banks  of  Newfoundland  !— to  enter  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  and  to  mark  its  yet  desert  shores ;  one  day  and  not 
a  distant  one  to  smile  with  cultivation,  and  teem  with  life  ! 
— to  catch  the  first  glance  of  Quebec,  a  prospect  unique, 
grand,  beautiful,  inspiring  !— to  pursue  the  lovely  course  of 


iv  EXPLANATION    OP   THE    MAP,    &C. 

the  St.  Lawrence  to  Montreal !— to  rest  for  a  few  days  in  that 
dep6t  of  commerce,  destined  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  on 
earth  ! — again,  to  pursue  the  course  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
more  and  more  lovely  ! — to  be  enchanted  among  the  Thou- 
sand Islands  ! — to  be  delighted  with  the  view  of  Kingston, 
one  of  the  finest  in  America  ! — to  take  a  passing  peep  at 
Little  York  ;  and  hail  Niagara,  bright  in  the  morning  rays ! 
— to  spend  a  month  on  the  Niagara  frontier ;  and  become  fa- 
miliar with  all  its  indescribable  wonders ! — to  return  home 
by  way  of  New  York ;  devoting  a  month  to  survey  the 
beauties  and  improvements  of  the  Genessee,  a  week  to  the 
charming  valley  of  the  Mohawk,  and  two  days  to  inhale 
delight  descending  the  Hudson,  most  picturesque  of  ri- 
vers! Excursions  to  Boston,  Philadelphia,  &c.  might 
happily  and  usefully  employ  time  till  the  end  of  September; 
and  then,  secure  from  equinoxial  storms,  huzza  for  roast  beef 
and  Old  England ! ! — Could  six  months  be  any  how  or  any 
where  so  well  employed  ? — Could  ^200  (and  with  economy, 
that  would  be  quite  sufficient) — could  ^200  be  better  spent  ? 
and  how  many  thousands  of  Englishmen  are  there  who  have 
abundance  to  spare,  both  of  time  and  money  ?  What  the 

1  deuce  are  we  in  tke  world  for,  if  we  do  not  see,  converse 
with,  and  become  acquainted  with  the  world  ? 

Nothing  would  advance  civilization  so  rapidly  as  friendly 
intercourse  between  Europe  and  America ;  and  my  heart 
beats  quick  with  the  hope  of  seeing  it  established. 
Fearon,  with  his  falsehoods,  his  jaundiced  eyes,  and  his 
cockney  prejudices,  has  done  infinite  mischief — more  than 
he  will  atone  for  by  a  life-time  of  preaching  *.  The  British 
Tourist  will  find  in  America  luxuries  in  abundance, 
civility,  cleanliness,  and  excellent  sense ;  and  for  all  of 

*  I  am  sorry  that  Dr.  Howison  has  written  too  much  in  the 
same  humour.  He  presents  to  us  the  worst  features  of  Canadians, 
does  not  see  into  causes,  and  after  exciting  little  else  than  disgust 
with  the  country,  takes  leave  of  "  happy  Canada  !" — Miss  Wright 
has  written  in  a  better  spirit ;  though  not  always  correct. 


EXPLANATION   OF   THE   MAP,    &C.  T 

these  i  shall  match  New  England  against^the  globe.  I 
repeat,  that  nothing  would  advance  civilization  so  rapidly  as 
friendly  intercourse  between  Europe  and  America.  The 
inhabitants  of  the  old  and  new  world  have  no  occasion  to 
quarrel :  free  trade  is  the  interest  of  both ;  and  they  can 
do  nothing  better  or  more  becoming  than  to  hold  out  to 
each  other  the  right  hand  of  fellowship. 

While  the  map  is  still  in  view,  we  may  say  something 
of  boundaries  between  the  United  States  and  British 
America.  Our  Ministers  have  been  most  shamefully 
neglectful  with  regard  to  these.  After  the  revolutionary  war, 
they  made  a  Treaty,  for  which  some  of  them  should  have 
been  brought  to  the  block;  but  that,  passed  over  with 
impunity,  has  only  confirmed  negligence,  "  if  not  worse." 
What  I  allude  to,  as  having  happened  after  the  revolutionary 
war  of  America,  cannot  be  better  told  than  by  quoting  a 
passage  from  a  memorial  presented  by  the  Merchants  of 
Lower  and  Upper  Canada  to  Sir  George  Prevost,  dated 
Montreal,  Oct.  14th,  1812. 

"  Posterity  will  hardly  believe,  although  history  must 
attest  the  melancholy  and  mortifying  truth,  that  in  acceding 
to  the  independence  of  the  then  thirteen  colonies,  as  states, 
their  territory  was  not  merely  allowed  to  them,  but  an 
extent  of  country,  then  a  portion  of  the  province  of 
Quebec,  nearly  of  equal  magnitude  to  the  said  thirteen 
colonies,  or  states,  was  ceded,  notwithstanding  not  a  foot  of 
the  country  so  ceded,  was  at  the  time  occupied  by  an 
American  in  arms,  nor  could  have  been,  had  the  war 
continued ;  and  this  cession  is  the  more  remarkable,  as  New 
York  and  Rhode  Island,  being  then  in  possession  of  the 
British  Army,  the  surrender  of  these  valuable  posts  and 
places  required  a  large  equivalent  in  territory  elsewhere, 
instead  of  giving,  as  it  were,  a  premium  for  getting  rid  of 
them." 

"  Yet  such  was  the  ignorance,  negligence,  or  some- 
thing worse,  of  the  then  Minister  of  Great  Britain,  and  those 
he  employed,  in  regard  to  geographical  position  and  local 


Vi  EXPLANATION   OF   THE   MAP,    &C. 

importance  of  the  territory  ceded,  that  when  the  merchants 
of  London,  interested  in  the  Canada  trade,  waited  on  Mr. 
Oswald,  the  negociator,  to  represent  the  impolitic  and  im- 
provident cession  of  the  upper  country  and  posts  command- 
ing the  same; — viz.  Michilimackinac,  Detroit,  Niagara, 
&c. ;  and  to  endeavour  to  discover  if  some  means  could 
not  be  devised  for  averting  the  destructive  consequence 
thereof,  in  respect  to  the  security  of  Canada,  and  of  the 
British  trade  and  influence  with  the  Indians,  he  literally 
burst  into  tears,  acknowledged  his  complete  ignorance  of 
such  posts  being  in  our  possession,  or  even  in  existence, 
and  of  the  country  given  away  being  an  object  worthy  of 
notice  in  any  respect." 

The  memorial  from  which  the  above  extract  is  taken, 
was  one  among  several  others  presented  to  Lord  Bathurst 
by  Canada  merchants  in  1814;  and  one  might  have 
thought  his  attention  would  have  been  arrested  by  it.  I 
happened  at  that  time  to  have  special  knowledge  of  what 
was  going  on.  I  know  it  was  scarcely  possible  to  rouse 
Lord  Bathurst,  even  to  the  appearance  of  concern ;  and  to 
be  sure  the  treaty  of  peace  was  soon  after  concluded,  with 
little  regard  indeed  to  Canadian  interests.  What  was  one 
day  insisted  on  as  a  sine  qua  non,  (the  independence  of  the 
North- West  Indians),  was,  the  next,  relinquished  without  a 
struggle ;  nor  did  indifference  then  terminate.  The  Con- 
vention of  1818  *,  bears  proof  that  the  tears  of  Mr.  Os- 


*  CONVENTION  between  his  Britannic  Majesty  and  the  United 
States  of  America,  signed  at  London,  October  %0th,  1818. 

His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland,  and  the  United  States  of  America,  desirous  to  cement 
the  good  understanding  which  happily  subsists  between  them, 
have  for  that  purpose  named  their  respective  plenipotentiaries,  that 
is  to  say,  his  Majesty,  on  his  part,  has  appointed  the  Right  Hon. 


EXPLANATION    OP   THE   MAP,    &C.  vii 

•waid  were  shed  to  little  purpose.    By  that  Convention  land 
was  given  away,  which  by  the  clearest  evidence  belonged  to 


Frederic- John-  Robinson,  Treasurer  of  his  Majesty's  Navyj  and 
President  of  the  Committee  of  Privy  Council  for  Trade  and  Plan- 
tations ;  and  Henry  Goulburn,  Esq.  one  of  his  Majesty's  under 
Secretaries  of  State ; — and  the  President  of  the  United  States  hag 
appointed  Albert  Gallatin,  their  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minis- 
ter Plenipotentiary  to  the  Court  of  France;  and  Richard  Rush, 
their  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  the 
Court  of  his  Britannic  Majesty;  who,  after  having  exchanged 
their  respective  full  powers,  found  to  be  in  due  and  proper  form, 
have  agreed  to  and  concluded  the  following  Articles  : 

ART.  I.  Whereas  differences  have  arisen  respecting  the  liberty 
claimed  by  the  United  States,  for  the  inhabitants  thereof  to  take, 
dry,  and  cure  fish  on  certain  coasts,  bays,  harbours,  and  creeks, 
of  his  Britannic  Majesty's'  dominions  in  America,  it  is  agreed 
between  the  high  contracting  parties  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  said 
United  States  shall  have  for  ever,  in  common  with  the  subjects  of 
his  Britannic  Majesty,  the  liberty  to  take  fish  of  every  kind  on 
that  part  of  the  southern  coast  of  Newfoundland  which  extends 
from  Cape  Ray  to  the  Rameau  Islands,  on  the  western  and  northern 
coast  of  Newfoundland,  from  the  said  Cape  Ray  to  the  Quipron 
Islands,  on  the  shores  of  the  Magdalen  Islands,  and  also  on  the 
coasts,  bays,  harbours,  and  creeks,  from  Mount  Joly,  on  the 
southern  coast  of  Labrador,  to  and  through  the  streights  of  Belle- 
isle,  and  thence  northwardly,  indefinitely  along  the  coast,  with- 
out prejudice  however  to  any  of  the  exclusive  rights  of  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company.  And  that  the  American  fishermen  shall  also 
have  liberty,  for  ever,  to  dry  and  cure  fish  in  any  of  the  unsettled 
harbours  and  creeks  of  the  southern  part  of  the  coast  of  New- 
foundland hereabove  described,  and  of  the  coast  of  Labrador ; 
but  so  sooa  as  the  same,  or  any  portion  thereof,  shall  be  settled, 
it  shall  not  be  lawful  for  the  said  fishermen  to  dry  or  cure  fish  at 
such  portion  so  settled,  without  previous  agreement  for  such  pur- 
pose with  the  inhabitants,  proprietors,  or  possessors  of  the 

'1 


Viii  EXPLANATION  OF  THE  MAP,  &C. 

this  country  and  its  subjects ;  while  a  boundary  was  esta- 
blished, in  every  respect  improper.  This  will  be  understood, 


ground.  And  the  United  States  hereby  renounce  for  ever  any 
liberty  heretofore  enjoyed  or  claimed  by  the  inhabitants  thereof, 
to  take,  dry,  or  cure  fish,  on  or  within  three  marine  miles  of  any 
of  the  coasts,  bays,  creeks,  or  harbours,  of  his  Britannic  Ma- 
jesty's dominions  in  America,  not  included  within  the  above- 
mentioned  limits :  provided,  however,  that  the  American  fisher- 
men shall  be  admitted  to  enter  such  bays  or  harbours,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  shelter,  and  of  repairing  damages  therein,  of  purchasing 
wood,  and  of  obtaining  water,  and  for  no  other  purpose  what- 
ever. But  they  shall  be  under  such  restrictions  as  may  be  neces- 
sary, to  prevent  their  taking,  drying,  or  curing  fish  therein,  or  in 
any  other  manner  whatever  abusing  the  privileges  hereby  reserved 
to  them. 

ART.  II.  It  is  agreed,  that  a  line  drawn  from  the  most  north- 
western point  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  along  the  forty-ninth  pa- 
rallel of  north  latitude,  or  if  the  said  point  shall  not  be  in  the 
forty-ninth  parallel  of  north  latitude,  then  that  a  line  drawn  from 
the  said  point  due  north  or  south,  as  the  case  may  be,  until  the 
said  line  shall  intersect  the  said  parallel  of  north  latitude,  and 
from  the  point  of  such  intersection,  due  west  along  and  with  the 
said  parallel,  shall  be  the  line  of  demarcation  between  the  terri- 
tories of  his  Britannic  Majesty,  and  those  of  the  United  States  ; 
and  that  the  said  line  shall  form  the  southern  boundary  of  the  said 
territories  of  his  Britannic  Majesty,  and  the  northern  boun- 
dary of  the  territories  of  the  United  States  from  the  Lake  of  the 
Woods  to  the  Stony  Mountains. 

ART.  III.  It  is  agreed,  that  any  country  that  may  be 
claimed  by  either  party  on  the  north-west  coast  of  America, 
westward  of  the  Stony  Mountains,  shall,  together  with  its  har- 
bours, bays,  and  creeks,  and  the  navigation  of  all  rivers  within 
the  same,  be  free  and  open  for  the  term  of  ten  years  from  the  date 
of  the  signature  of  the  present  convention,  to  the  vessels,  citi- 
zens, and  subjects  of  the  two  powers :  it  being  well  understood 
that  this  agreement  is  not  to  be  construed  to  the  prejudice  of  any 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  MAP,  &C.  ix 

by  examining  the  little  map  of  North-East  America,  at- 
tached to  volume  second.  The  boundary  line,  running  west 


claim  which  either  of  the  two  high  contracting  parties  may  have 
to  any  part  of  the  said  country,  nor  shall  it  be  taken  to  affect  the 
claims  of  any  other  power  or  state  to  any  part  of  the  said  coun- 
try, the  only  object  of  the  high  contracting  parties,  in  that  re- 
spect, being  to  prevent  disputes  and  differences]]  among  them- 
selves. 

ART.  IV.  All  the  provisions  of  the  Convention,  "  to  regulate 
the  commerce  between  the  territories  of  his  Britannic  Majesty  and 
of  the  United  States,"  concluded  at  London  on  the  3d  day  of 
July,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1815,  with  the  exception  of  the 
clause  which  limited  its  duration  to  four  years,  and  excepting  also, 
so  far  as  the  same  was  affected  by  the  declaration  of  his  Ma- 
jesty, respecting  the  island  of  St.  Helena,  are  hereby  extended 
and  continued  in  force  for  the  term  of  ten  years  from  the  date  of 
the  signature  of  the  present  Convention,  in  the  same  manner  as 
if  all  the  provisions  of  the  said  Convention  were  herein  specially 
recited. 

ART.  V.  WJiereas  it  was  agreed  by  the  first  Article  of  the  Treaty 
of  Ghent,  that  "  all  territory,  places  and  possessions  whatsoever, 
taken  by  either  party  from  the  other  during  the  war,  or  which  may 
be  taken  after  the  signing  of  this  Treaty,  excepting  only  the  islands 
thereinafter  mentioned,  shall  be  restored  without  delay,  and 
without  causing  any  destruction,  or  carrying  away  any  of  the 
artillery  or  other  public  property,  originally  captured  in  the  said 
forts  or  places,  which  shall  remain  therein  upon  the  exchange  of  the 
ratifications  of  this  Treaty ;  or  any  slaves,  or  other  private 
property  ;" — and  whereas,  under  the  aforesaid  articles,  the  United 
States  claim  for  their  citizens,  and  as  their  private  property,  the 
restitution  of,  or  full  compensation  for,  all  slaves  who,  at  the  date  of 
the  exchange  of  the  ratifications  of  the  said  Treaty,  were  in  any 
territory,  places,  or  possessions  whatsoever,  directed  by  the  said 
Treaty  to  be  restored  to  the  United  States,  but  then  still  occupied 
by  the  British  Forces,  whether  such  slaves  were,  at  the  date 
aforesaid,  on  shore,  or  aboard  any  British  Vessel,  lying  in  waters, 


X  EXPLANATION    OF    THE   MAP,  &C. 

from  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  has  given  to  America,  very 
improperly,  a  large  portion  of  Lord  Selkirk's  estate, 
which  he  purchased  from  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 
The  boundary  ought  to  have  run  along  the  height  of 
land  between  the  head  waters  of  the  Mississippi  and 
the  Red  River.  The  height  of  land  or  water-shed,  as 
we  call  it  in  Scotland,  is  the  natural,  proper,  and  politic  line 
of  division  between  countries  ;  and,  of  all  things,  rivers, 
navigable  to  the  sea,  ought  to  be  avoided  as  national 
boundaries,  for  obvious  reasons.  The  natural,  proper,  and 
politic  boundary  between  the  United  States  and  British 
America,  should  have  been  that  line  which  I  have  coloured : 
bending  from  north  to  east,  by  Rome.  I  wish  it  to 
be  taken  notice  of,  because  I  think  it  may  still  be 


within  the  territory  or  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States ;  and 
whereas  differences  have  arisen,  whether  by  the  true  intent  and 
meaning  of  the  aforesaid  article  of  the  Treaty  of  Ghent,  the  United 
States  are  entitled  to  the  restitution  of,  or  full  compensation  for,  all 
or  any  slaves  as  above  described,  the  high  contracting  parties  hereby 
agree  to  refer  the  said  differences  to  some  friendly  Sovereign  or 
State,  to  be  final  and  conclusive  on  all  the  matters  referred  to. 

ART.  VI.  This  Convention,  when  the  same  shall  have  been  duly 
ratified  by  his  Britannic  Majesty  and  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  their  Senate,  and  the 
respective  ratifications  mutually  exchanged,  shall  be  binding  and 
obligatory  on  his  Majesty,  and  on  the  said  United  States ;  and  the 
ratification  shall  be  exchanged  in  six  months  from  this  date,  or 
sooner,  if  possible. 

In  witness  whereof,  the  respective  Plenipotentiaries  have  signed 
the  same,  and  have  thereunto  affixed  the  seal  of  their  arms.  Done 
at  London,  this  20th  day  of  October,  1818. 

(L.  S.)  FRED.  JOHN  ROBINSON, 
(L.  S.)  HENRY  GOULBURN, 
(L.  S.)  ALBERT  GALLATIN, 
L,  S.)  RICHARD  RUSH. 


EXPLANATION   OP   THE   MAP,    &C.  xi 

fixed  upon  as  a  boundary.  North  and  west  of  that  line  the 
natural  outlet  to  the  ocean  is  by  Quebec.  South  and  east 
of  it,  by  New  York.  A  river  is  valuable,  because  of  its  fish  ; 
and  the  right  of  fishing  may  lead  on  to  war  between  opposite 
claimants.  A  river  is  valuable  for  navigation ;  and  this  again 
may  give  rise  to  endless  disputes.  The  improvement  of  na- 
vigation may  require  union  from  all  who  are  to  reap  ad- 
vantage ;  but  two  nations  cannot  unite  in  the  necessary  work. 
A  citizen  of  the  United  States,  farming  on  the  south  bank  of 
the  St.  Lawrence,  sees  that  nature  intended  him  to  have  his 
produce  conveyed  to  the  ocean  by  the  noble  stream  which 
flows  by  his  door ;  but  the  British  Government  can  say, 
"  You  shall  pay  toll  at  Quebec."  The  design  of  nature  is 
thus  thwarted,  and  one  set  of  men  are  most  cruelly  sub- 
jected to  the  caprice  of  another  set.  This  matter  has  not 
before,  to  my  knowledge,  been  properly  considered ;  but 
its  importance  is  great  indeed.  Happily,  no  great  portion 
of  America  is  dependent  on  British  favour  for  access  to 
the  ocean.  The  western  and  northern  canals  *  are  to  be  va- 
lued for  the  sake  of  natural  liberty :  nay,  I  value  them  even, 
for  the  liberty  of  Canada.  The  commerce  of  Canada  will 
presently  have  a  choice  of  exits  and  entrances  f — by  Lake 
Champlain — by  Oswego — by  Buffalo,  she  may  communi- 
cate with  the  ocean  as  well,  and,  in  many  instances,  better 
than  by  Quebec  :  even  as  a  British  subject  I  rejoice  in  this: 
as  a  British  subject  I  wish  not  our  nation  to  enjoy  a  par- 
ticle of  arbitrary  power ;  and  certain  it  is,  his  Majesty's 
dominions  do  not  hold  a  more  loyal  and  patriotic  subject 
than  myself. 

Nobody  will  look  five  minutes  to  the  miserable  chequered 
escutcheon  hung  up  on  the  face  of  my  map  to  exhibit  the 
mode  of  laying  out  land  in  Canada,  without  condemning  such 
mode.  No  thinking  person  will,  for  a  moment,  hesitate  in 


*  See  the  Map. 


Xii  EXPLANATION  OF  THE  MAP,  &C. 

saying   that  there   should  neither  be  crown  nor   clergy 
reserves. 

A  map  of  Niagara  district,  with  courses  of  the  grand 
canal,  between  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario,  together  with 
plans  illustrative  of  settlement  in  the  wilderness  of  Cana- 
da, are  already  engraved,  and  will  appear  in  volume  third, 
with  others. 


• 


TO 


THE    KING, 

WHO    CAN    DO    NO    WRONG,'9 


THIS 


DEDICATED, 


BT 


HIS    MOST    DEVOTED    SUBJECT, 


ROBERT  GOURLAY. 


>/,1  31 ' 


;{ r,  ?r  f j  *  CT  3 


CONTENTS 


OP 


VOLUME  I. 


PAGE 

GENERAL  INTRODUCTION,  with  Introductions  to  Sketches  and 

Township  Reports i 


SKETCHES 


UPPER  CANADA. 


PAGE 

Sketch  I.  HISTORY   ...............................  1 

II.  Boundaries  ............................  16 

III.  Natural  Divisions  of  the  Country  ...........  27 

IV.  Lakes,  Rivers,  Cataracts,  Bays,  and  Harbours.  37 

V.  Civil  Divisions  ..........................  116 

VI.  Settlements  ...................  .........  124 

VII.  Population  .......  *  ...................  139 

VIII.  Climate,  Winds,  &c  ...................  140 

IX.  Water  ................................  145 

X.  Soil,  Stones,  Minerals,  &c  .................  147 

XI.  Productions,  natural  and  cultivated    ........  150 

XII.  Animals  of  the  Forest  ..................  157 

XIII.  Domestic  Animals  ....................  169 

XIV.  Birds  171 


XVI  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Sketch  XV.  Fishes 175 

XVI.  Amphibious  Animals,  Reptiles,  and  Insects . .  183 

XVII.  Constitution ; 189 

XVIII.  Provincial  Parliament 190 

XIX.  Executive  Government    204 

XX.  Judiciary 205 

XXI.  Money    215 

XXII.  Revenue  and  Taxes   «  217 

XXIII.  Commerce    224 

XXIV.  Militia 229 

XXV.  Religion,  and  Ecclesiastic  Institutions  ....  231 

XXVI.  Profession  and  Practice  of  Law 234 

XXVII.  Physic  and  Surgery    235 

XXVIII.  Trades,  and  Apprenticeships     236 

XXIX.  Imprisonment  for  Debt,  Insolvent  Laws, 

and  Liability  of  Land  for  Debt 238 

XXX.  Gradual  Abolition  of  Slavery    240 

XXXI.  Price  of  Land,    and  Encouragement  to 
Settlers    ..., 241 

XXXII.  State  of  Learning  244 

XXXIII.  Character,  Manners  and  Customs  of  the 
Inhabitants  .,  247 


APPENDIX  to  SKETCHES 247 


(ma 


CONTENTS.  XYH 

TOWNSHIP  REPORTS 

OF 

UPPER    CANADA. 


PAGE 

QUERIES  .... 270 

NOTES 271 


WESTERN  DISTRICT. 

PAGE 

1.  Sandwich    275 

2.  Maiden  . . .  *. 281 

3.  Raleigh  ...» ^ '284 

4.  Dover,   East  and  West,  Chatham,    Camden,    Orford, 

Howard  and  Harwich 291 

Summary  of  Population,  &c 298 

Notes,  explanatory,  continued  from  p.  27  3 300 


LONDON  DISTRICT. 

1.  Delaware,  Westminster,  and  Dorchester » • ..  302 

Statistical  Table 306 

2.  Oxford 308 

3.  Blenheim,  and  the  first  Concession  of  Burford 310 

4.  Burford 311 

5.  Windham 314 

6.  Townsend 318 

7.  Walpole  and  Rainham 320 

8.  Woodhouse 322 

9.  Charlotteville    323 

10.  Walsingham     327 

11.  Middleton    , 329 

12.  Norwich 331 

Statistical  Table 336 

VOL.  1.  b 


XV111  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

13.  Bayham • 338 

14.  Malahide 340 

15.  Yarmouth     342 

16.  Southwold    344 

17.  Dunwicli 346 

18.  Aldborough 349 

Statistical  Tables    352.  354 

Summary  of  Population,  &c 356 


GORE  DISTRICT. 

1.  Trafalgar 358 

2.  Nelson    365 

3.  Wellington  Square 368 

4.  East  Flamboro' 369 

5.  West  Flamboro'  and  Beverly.... 371 

6.  Nichol 375 

7.  Waterloo 382 

8.  Dumfries 383 

9.  Haldimand   384 

10.  Ancaster 388 

11.  Barton 394 

12.  Saltfleet    e 396 

Statistical  Tables 402.  404 

Summary  of  Population,  &c 405 

NIAGARA  DISTRICT. 

1.  Humberston 407 

2.  Bertie   409 

3.  Willoughby 412 

4.  Stamford 416 

5.  Grantham     421 

6.  Louth 425 

7.  Grimsby,  first  and  second  Report , 429,  430 

8.  Pelham  441 

9.  Thorold 445 

10.  Crowland 446 


CONTENTS.  XIX 

PAGE 

11.  Wainfleet 449 

12.  Canboro'  and  Caistor  . . .  0 452 

Summary  of  Population,  &c 454 

Statistical  Table  . .  456 


THE  HOME  DISTRICT. 

(No  Report  received.) 458 

NEWCASTLE  DISTRICT. 

Haldimand 467 

Summary  of  Population,  &c 468 

MIDLAND  DISTRICT. 

1 .  Kingston,  first  and  second  Report      470.  477 

2.  Ernest-Town,  including  Amherst  Island     482 

3.  Adolphus-Town ..  486 

4.  Sophiasburg     , . 486 

5.  Hallowell 487 

6.  Thurlow 489 

General  Report 492 

Summary  of  Population,  &c.  &c 495 

JOHNSTOWN  DISTRICT. 

1.  Wolford , 498 

2.  Landsdown    . . . . , 502 

3.  Elizabeth-Town,     508;     Yonge,    512;     Landsdown, 

513;  Leeds,  516;    Kitley,  517}  Bastard,  518; 

and  South  Crosby 518 

Summary  of  Population,  &c 520 

Letter  to  the  Editor  of  British  Newspapers 52* 

Statistical  Tables 524.  52fJ 

Proclamation  by  the  Authority  of  his  Royal  Highness  the 

Prince  Regent,  encouraging  Settlers  in  Canada  . .  528 

Remarks  on  do,  Sec, 539 

b  2- 


XX  CONTENTS. 

EASTERN  DISTRICT. 

PACK 

Charlottenburgh     559 

Summary  of  Population,  &c 565 

Draught  of  an  Address  to  the  Prince  Regent 571 


OTTAWA  DISTRICT.  580 


LOWER  CANADA. 

Seigniory  of  New  Longeuil 584 

Soulange    , 586 

Vaudreuil    589 

Rigaud 591 

Isle  Perrot \.  592 

Montreal  Island 592 

Isle  Jesus     598 

Terrebonne 598 

Mille  Isles 600 

Lac  des  deux  Montagnes 600 

Argenteuil •••• ....  602 

La  Petite  Nation 603 

Township  of  Chatham    604 

Wentworth 605 

Grenville 605 

Lochabcr  (Suffolk) 605 

Buckingham    606 

Templeton 606 

Hull    ... 607 

Eardley  and  Onslow 608 

Newton v...  609 


Statistical  Table 611 

General  Summary,  &c 612 

Opinions  as  to  what  retards  the  Improvement  of  the  Pro- 
vince ,.,.,,.,  , , 1 1 *  •  •   •  1 1 » t .  623 


ERRATA. 

Page  221,  la*t  line  of  the  second  Table,  for  16,847|,  read  16,666f, 

274,  line  20,/or  quality,  read  quantity. 

274,  line  2  and  elsewhere,  for  straight,  read  strait. 

278,  line  22,  for  20,  read  40. 

— —  287,  line  23,  for  quarter,  read  acre. 

296,  last  line  of  the  Table,  for  114,  read  112. 

354,  last  line  of  Table,  column  8,  insert  2. 

—  406,  line  4,  for  upwards  of  1,900,  read  1,829,  and  dele  the  whole  of 

line  5  ;— line  6,  for  1,930,  read  1,859  j— line  8,  for  8,614, 
read  8,543. 

—  456,  fourth  column  of  Totals,  for  8,398,  read  8,498. 

457,  last  line  bnt  one,  for  10,  read  100. 

— .  525,  line  1,  for  13  months,  read  12  months. 


SKETCHES 


UPPER  CANADA 


WRITTBjr  BT 


AN  INHABITANT. 


SKETCHES 


UPPER    CANADA. 


SKETCH  I. 


HISTORY. 

Discovery  of  Canada — St.  Lawrence — Quebec  set- 
tled —  Montreal —  Iroquois  —  Fort  Frontenac — 
Progress  of  French  Settlements — Conquest  of 
Canada — Proclamation —  Quebec  Act — American 
Loyalists — Upper  Canada  settled — U.  E.  List — 
Division  of  the  Province — Lieutenant  Governors, 
Simcoe,  Hunter,  and  Gore. 

OOLUMBUS  having  discovered  the  continent, 
afterwards  named  America,  and  taken  possession  of 
a  large  portion  of  it  for  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  of 
Spain,  and  Cabot  having  acquired  for  Henry  VIL 
of  England,  a  similar  title  to  a  considerable  part 
of  North  America,  Francis  I.  king  of  France, 
became  desirous  of  participating  in  the  acquisition 
of  the  new  world. 

For  that  purpose  he   fitted  out  Verazani,  who 
made  two  voyages  of  discovery,  and  attempted  a 


2  SKETCHES    OF 

third,  but  perished  in  the  attempt  without  effecting 
the  projected  establishment  of  a  colony. 

The  project  of  colonization  seems  to  have  been 
thereupon  abandoned  by  the  court  of  France  for 
some  years. 

In  1534,  however,  Jacques  Cartier  sailed,  under 
a  royal  commission,  from  St.  Maloes  to  Newfound- 
land, entered  the  bay  of  Chaleurs,  coasted  a  great 
part  of  the  gulf,  and  took  formal  possession  of  the 
adjacent  country  in  the  name  of  his  most  Christian 
Majesty. 

On  the  report  of  Carrier's  voyage,  he  was  com- 
missioned to  establish  a  French  colony  in  the  coun- 
try thus  acquired.  Accordingly,  he  sailed  with 
three  vessels,  which,  after  suffering  severely  in  a 
storm,  entered  the  gulf  on  the  10th  of  August, 
1535,  being  the  fast  day  of  St.  Laurent.  In  com- 
pliment to  the  Saint  of  the  day,  Cartier  named  the 
bay  in  which  they  anchored,  St.  Lawrence,  a  name 
soon  afterwards  applied  to  the  gulf,  and  thence 
extended  to  the  great  river,  which,  before,  had  no 
other  appellation  than  the  river  of  Canada.  It  was 
not  at  first  uniformly  stiled  the  St.  Lawrence, 
higher  up  than  the  island  of  Montreal.  Even  so 
late  as  the  treaty  of  peace,  in  1783,  in  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  boundary  line  between  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  from  the  45th  degree  of  latitude  to  the 
lake,  it  was  described  as  the  river  Iroquois  or  Cata- 
racqui ;  but  it  is  now  commonly  known  by  the  name 
of  the  St.  Lawrence,  through  its  whole  extent, 
from  the  gulf  up  to  the  outlet  of  Ontario.  Be- 
tween that  lake  and  Erie,  thirty-three  miles,  it  is 


UPPER   CANADA.  3 

denominated  the  Niagara  river.  From  lake  Erie  to 
lake  Sinclair,  twenty-seven  miles,  it  is  called  De- 
troit, that  is  the  Strait,  without  any  distinctive 
appellation.  From  lake  Sinclair  to  lake  Huron  it 
is  the  river  Sinclair.  From  Huron  to  Superior, 
about  forty  miles,  it  is  the  strait  of  St.  Marie ;  and 
from  Huron,  southward  to  Michigan,  fifteen  miles, 
it  is  the  Strait  of  Michilimackinac.  A  small  part 
only  of  this  vast  river  was  explored  by  Cartier. 

The  efforts  of  the  French  to  colonize  Canada  were 
not  successful,  until  Champlain,  at  the  head  of  a 
small  colony,  in  1608,  twelve  years  before  the 
English  Puritans  arrived  at  Plymouth,  in  New 
England,  made  a  settlement  at  Quebec,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  in  latitude  46°,  48', 
north,  and  longitude  71°  12'  west. 

Although  his  establishment  was  never  discon- 
tinued, it  encountered  so  many  embarrassments, 
and  was  so  feebly  supported,  that,  in  1622,  the 
whole  little  colony  contained  only  fifty  persons. 
In  1629  it  was  surrendered  to  the  English,  but  was 
restored  by  treaty  in  1632. 

Montreal  was  settled  thirty  years  after  Quebec. 
The  island  was  granted  for  the  support  of  the  order 
of  Sulpicins,  a  religions  order  of  Catholics,  which 
was  established  there.  The  city  of  Montreal  is 
situated  on  the  south  side  of  the  island,  in  latitude 
45°,  33'  north,  and  longitude  73°,  37'  west. 

At  an  early  period,  the  French  colonists  impru- 
dently engaged  as  allies,  or  rather  protectors,  of  the 
Hurons  and  Algonquins,  tribes  of  Indians  inhabit- 
ing the  countries  north-westerly  of  the  St.  Law- 

B2 


4  SKETCHES   OF 

rence;  and,  of  course,  were  involved  in  hostilities 
with  their  common  enemy,  the  Iroquois,  or  Five 
Nations,  whose  residence  was  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river  and  lake,  principally  in  the  territory  now 
composing  the  western  region  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  This  warlike  confederacy,  the  most  power- 
ful and  politic  of  all  the  aboriginal  nations,  spread 
terror  and  desolation,  from  the  river  Sorel,  then 
termed  the  Iroquois,  to  the  Illinois,  a  distance  of 
a  thousand  miles.  More  than  a  hundred  years, 
with  some  short  intermissions,  they  maintained 
cruel  and  destructive  wars  against  the  French,  and 
a  part  of  them  finally  assisted  the  English  in  con- 
quering Canada. 

To  guard  against  such  formidable  enemies,  the 
French,  under  Governor  Frontenac,  in  1672,  built 
Fort  Frontenac,  at  Cataracqui,  on  the  easterly  end 
of  lake  Ontario,  where  Kingston  now  stands. 

A  few  years  afterwards,  they  erected  fort  Niagara, 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  strait  of  that  name. 

They  also  built  two  vessels  on  lake  Ontario,  and 
armed  them  for  the  purpose  of  operating  against 
the  Indians. 

But  in  1689,  the  Iroquois  made  such  an  impres- 
sion upon  the  French  colony,  that  they  blew  up  the 
two  forts,  burned  their  armed  vessels  on  the  lake, 
and  retired  down  the  river.  These  fortifications, 
however,  were  afterwards  rebuilt. 

They  had  also  a  fort  on  the  island,  in  the  St. 
Lawrence,  near  Osweigatchie ;  a  garrison  and  vil- 
lage at  Detroit;  and  a  fort  and  trading  post  at 
Michilimackinac . 


,  UPPER   CANADA.  5 

Except  these  military  stations,  and  some  fac- 
tories and  trading1  houses  further  north  west,  they 
formed  no  settlements  in  Upper  Canada  during 
the  century  and  a  half  of  their  possession  of  the 
country. 

They  did,  indeed,  pass  over  to  the  Ohio,  the 
Illinois,  and  the  Mississippi,  and  descending  those 
rivers  to  Louisiana,  they  planted  colonies  in  several 
places ;  but  those  colonial  establishments  languished 
and  decayed ;  even  in  Lower  Canada,  their  settle- 
ments, instead  of  spreading  over  the  country,  were 
condensed  into  comparatively  narrow  limits. 

A  distinguished  French  traveller  (Volney)  says, 
the  general  decay  of  the  French  Settlements,  on  the 
frontiers  of  Louisiana,  and  even  Canada,  compared 
with  the  equally  general  increase  of  the  American, 
was  to  him  a  subject  of  frequent  meditation,  the 
result  of  which  was,  that  the  difference  was  to  be 
ascribed  to  habit  and  national  character,  occasioned 
by  their  systems  of  education,  and  the  nature  of 
their  governments. 

According  to  him,  "  the  American  settler  sedately 
forms  a  plan  of  managing  a  farm.  He  does  not  rise 
early;  but,  when  he  has  once  risen,  he  spends  the 
day  in  an  uninterrupted  series  of  useful  labours.  If 
the  weather  be  fair  he  goes  out,  ploughs,  fells  trees, 
makes  fences,  or  the  like  :  if  it  be  wet,  he  takes  an 
inventory  of  the  contents  of  his  house,  barn,  and 
stables,  repair^  the  doors,  windows,  or  locks,  drives 
nails,  makes  chairs  or  tables,  and  is  constantly  em- 
ployed in  rendering  his  habitation  secure,  conve- 
nient, and  neat.  With  these  dispositions,  he  will 


6  SKETCHES   OF 

sell  his  farm,  if  an  opportunity  offer,  and  retire 
into  the  woods  thirty  or  forty  miles  to  form  a  new 
settlement." 

"The  French  settler,  on  the  contrary,  rises  early 
in  the  morning,  consults  his  wife,  takes  his  gun, 
goes  a  shooting,  or  to  chat  with  some  neighbour. 
At  other  times  he  stays  at  home,  and  spends  the  day 
in  talking.  Neighbours  pay  and  return  visits;  for 
visiting  and  talking  are  so  indispensably  necessary 
to  a  Frenchman,  from  habit,  that  throughout  the 
whole  frontier  of  Canada  and  Louisiana,  there  is 
not  a  settler  of  that  nation  to  be  found,  whose  house 
is  not  in  sight  of  some  other." 

"  Having  several  times,"  he  observes,  "questioned 
the  frontier  Canadians  respecting  the  distances  of 
times  and  places,  I  have  found  that,  in  general, 
they  had  no  clear  and  precise  ideas;  that  they 
received  sensations  without  reflecting  on  them ;  in 
short  that  they  knew  not  how  to  make  any  calcula- 
tion, that  was  ever  so  little  complicated.  They 
would  say  to  me,  from  this  place  to  that,  is  one  or 
two  pipes  of  tobacco;  you  can  or  you  cannot  reach  it 
between  sunrise  and  sunset,  or  the  like.  But 
there  is  not  a  single  American  settler  who  does  not 
give,  with  precision,  the  number  of  miles,  or  hours, 
and  weights  and  measures,  in  feet  or  yards,  pounds 
or  gallons ;  and  who  does  not,  very  readily,  make 
a  calculation,  consisting  of  several  actual  and  con- 
tingent elements." 

He  adds,  "  The  French  often  blame,  as  immoral, 
the  readiness  with  which  an  American  sells  and 
quits  the  estate  on  which  he  was  born,  or  which  he 


UPPER   CANADA.  7 

has  purchased  or  improved  by  his  own  labour,  to  go 
and  fix  himself  in  another.  But  if  we  trace  this 
idea  to  its  source,  we  shall  discover,  that  it  has 
been  invented  by  the  rulers,  and  kept  up  by  the 
laws  of  a  people  originally  in  a  state  of  slavery. 
To  bind  men  to  the  soil  by  the  prejudices  of  affection, 
was,  at  all  times,  the  secret  or  avowed  object  of  a 
policy  afraid  of  losing  its  prey.  Now,  as  it  was 
for  the  purpose  of  breaking  their  chains,  both  civil 
and  religious,  that  the  Americans  emigrated,  in  the 
first  instance,  it  is  not  at  all  surprising  that  emigra- 
tion is  become  to  them  an  habitual  want,  and  still 
has,  in  their  eyes,  the  charm  of  being  an  exertion 
of  their  liberty." 

How  nearly  this  portrait  of  the  common  Canadian 
French,  drawn  by  the  hand  of  a  Frenchman,  re- 
sembles the  original,  I  shall  not  examine.  There 
are  but  few  of  them,  comparatively,  in  this  province ; 
and  the  brevity  of  this  Historical  Sketch  forbids  a 
more  particular  attention  to  the  Lower  Province, 
where  there  are  many  French  gentlemen  of  intelli- 
gence and  respectability. 

In  the  prosecution  of  various  wars  between  the 
English  and  the  French,  the  former  made  several 
unsuccessful  attempts  to  conquer  Canada ;  and,  in 
the  war  of  1756,  under  the  vigorous  and  brilliant 
administration  of  Mr.  Pitt,  a  grand  effort  for  that 
purpose  was  finally  crowned  with  success.  In 
1759  Niagara  surrendered  to  Sir  William  Johnson. 
General  Amherst  reduced  Ticonderago  and  Crown 
Point.  The  memorable  battl e,  fought  on  the  heights 
ef  Abraham,  and  immortalized  by  the  deaths  of  the 


8  SKETCHES    OF 

rival  Generals  in  chief,  Wolfe  and  Montcalm,  was 
followed  by  the  surrender  of  Quebec,  the  key  of 
Canada  and  the  Gibraltar  of  America.  In  the 
campaign  of  1760,  General  Amherst  met  with  no 
resistance  in  entering  Oswego,  a  fort  situated  at 
the  mouth  of  a  river  of  that  name,  on  the  southern 
borders  of  lake  Ontario,  nearly  opposite  to  Frontenac, 
formerly  belonging  to  the  English ;  but  possessed, 
for  the  last  four  years,  by  the-  French;  and  having, 
on  his  passage  down  the  river,  taken  a  French  Post, 
on  an  island  near  Osweigatchie,  he  proceeded  to 
Montreal,  obtained  possession  of  that  place  by 
capitulation,  and  thus  completed  the  conquest  of 
Canada,  and  thereby  relieved  the  colonists  of  New 
England  from  the  danger  of  French  and  Indian 
invasion,  acquired  an  immense  territory  to  the 
crown,  and  transferred  to  British  hands  a  fur  trade 
of  incalculable  value. 

Favourable  terms  were  granted  to  the  French 
Canadians,  who  were  secured  in  the  enjoyment  of 
their  property  and  religion. 

This  stipulation  was  inserted  in  the  fourth  article 
of  the  treaty,  signed  at  Paris  in  February,  1763. 

A  Royal  Proclamation  was  issued  in  October  of 
the  same  year,  declaring  the  limits  of  the  Province, 
which  included  a  part  only  of  what  is  now  Upper 
Canada,  and  prescribing  a  form  of  government  by 
a  Governor  and  Council. 

The  same  Proclamation  provided  for  granting  to 
the  reduced  officers  and  disbanded  soldiers,  certain 
portions  of  the  waste  lands  of  the  crown,  a  provision, 
which,  at  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  was 


UPPER    CANADA.  9 

referred  to  as  a  precedent  for  the  quantum  of  lands 
to  be  then  granted. 

The  mode  of  government  thus  prescribed  by  pro- 
clamation, continued  ten  years. 

By  an  act  of  the  British  Parliament,  passed  in 
1774,  the  limits  of  the  province  of  Quebec  were 
extended,  so  as  to  comprehend  all  Upper  Canada, 
and  even  the  territory,  now  within  the  United 
States,  north-west  of  the  Ohio  to  the  Mississippi  : 
the  Governor  with  a  Council,  without  an  Assembly, 
was  vested  with  legislative  powers:  the  Catholic 
religion  was  legalized,  and  the  tithes  and  ecclesi- 
astical rig'hts  of  the  Catholic  priests  were  gua- 
ranteed: the  English  criminal  law  .was  established ; 
but  the  French  laws  were  declared  to  be  the  rule 
of  decision,  in  cases  of  property  and  civil  rights. 

Objections  were  raised  in  Parliament  against 
some  of  the  principles  of  this  bill,  particularly  the 
extension  of  the  province,  the  want  of  a  legislative 
assembly,  the  adoption  of  French  laws,  trials  with- 
out jury,  and  the  establishment,  as  it  was  called, 
of  the  Catholic  religion, — a  religion  against  which 
the  laws  of  England  had  guarded  by  solemn  oaths 
and  declarations,  and  which  was  the  subject  of  civil 
disabilities,  operating  severely  upon  the  Catholics 
of  Ireland. 

Notwithstanding  those  objections  it  passed  into  a 
law,  and  remained  in  force  until  1791. 

The  American  Congress  inserted  the  Quebec  act 
in  their  list  of  parliamentary  grievances ;  and,  in 
their  addresses  to  the  Colonists  and  the  Canadians, 
touched  upon  different  parts  of  it.  Its  provision, 


10  SKETCHES   OF 

in  favour  of  the  Catholics  and  their  priests,  was 
one  of  the  means  of  engaging-  the  Protestant 
American  clergy,  in  support  of  the  Revolution. 

In  the  progress  of  that  revolutionary  contest, 
which  terminated  in  the  dismemberment  of  the 
British  empire  and  the  independence  of  the  United 
States,  particularly  on  the  capture  of  General  Bur- 
goyne,  many  of  the  Americans  who  adhered  to  the 
royal  cause  removed  into  Canada  with  their  fami- 
lies. Upon  the  evacuation  of  New  York,  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  a  still  greater  number  followed. 

A  large  proportion  of  them  had  served  in  the 
army,  and  were  now  disbanded  and  left  without 
employment.  Some  had  lost  their  estates  by  con- 
fiscation ;  and  they  were  generally  destitute  and 
dependent. 

To  reward,  therefore,  their  loyalty,  to  relieve 
their  present  wants,  and  furnish  them  with  means 
of  future  subsistence,  and  at  the  same  time  to  settle 
a  fertile  but  vacant  territory,  and  enlarge  the  po- 
pulation and  strength  of  the  empire,  the  British 
government  determined  upon  making  liberal 
assignments  of  land  in  Upper  Canada,  as  in  Nova 
Scotia  and  New  Brunswick,  to  the  American  loyal- 
ists. The  second  battalion  of  the  84th  regiment, 
having  been  raised  in  America,  was  now  disband- 
ed here,  and  a  few  British  and  German  soldiers 
discharged  in  this  country.  This  measure  was  re- 
commended by  justice,  humanity,  and  sound  policy; 
and  has  been  happily  crowned  with  success.  No 
government  ever  conducted,  on  any  occasion,  with 
more  liberal  justice  towards  its  subjects,  than  the 


UPPER   CANADA.  11 

British  government  did  to  the  loyalists  of  the  revo- 
lution; and  never  was  public  liberality  productive 
of  more  beneficial  effects. 

The  disbanded  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  84th 
regiment,  in  consequence  of  a  promise  made  in 
their  beating  orders,  claimed  the  same  proportions 
of  lands  as  had  been  granted  at  the  peace  of  1763. 
Their  claim  was  admitted.  The  loyalists  were 
ultimately  put  upon  the  same  footing,  and  conse- 
quently were  allowed  at  the  rate  of  five  thousand 
acres  for  a  field  officer,  three  thousand  for  a  cap- 
tain, two  thousand  for  a  subaltern,  and  two  hun- 
dred for  a  private  soldier*.  These  grants  were  di- 
rected to  be  free  from  every  expense. 

The  range  of  land  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  from 
the  highest  French  settlement  near  the  lake  St. 
Francis,  up  to  Ontario,  and  thence  along  that  lake 
to  and  round  the  bay  of  Quinte,  was  accordingly 
divided  into  townships,  and  subdivided  into  con- 
cessions and  lots.  The  form  of  their  location  and 
survey,  being  connected  with  the  geographical  de- 
scription of  the  province,  will  be  sketched  under 
that  head. 

These  townships  were  numbered,  but  not  named 
until  several  years  afterwards.  Of  the  numbers 
there  were  two  series :  one  including  the  town- 
ships on  the  river  below  Kingston,  the  other  con- 
taining those  from  Kingston  inclusively,  westward 
to  the  head  of  the  bay.  The  original  settlers 

*  In  1798,  by  the  royal  instructions  to  Gen.  Hunter,  the  al- 
lowance was  limited  to  a  quantity  from  200  to  1200  acres. 


12  SKETCHES    OF 

being  accustomed  to  describe  them  by  their  re- 
spective numbers,  as  First  town,  Second  town,  &c. 
retained  the  custom,  after  distinct  names  were 
leg-ally  appropriated  by  proclamation  ;  and,  through 
the  force  of  habit,  still  adhere  to  that  inconvenient 
mode  of  description. 

In  the  summer  of  1784,  they  took  possession  of 
the  allotted  townships,  and  thus  settled  at  once,  a 
territory  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  extent  on  the 
river  and  lake. 

The  same  season  the  loyalists,  composing  Cutlery 
rangers,  and  those  attached  to  the  Indian  depart- 
ment, had  lands  assigned  to  them,  on  the  same  prin- 
ciples, near  Niagara  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
and  south  side  of  lake  Ontario,  and  also  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Detroit,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
strait ;  and  they,  likewise,  entered  upon  their  ap- 
propriated lands. 

These  may  be  considered  the  first  effective  settle- 
ments of  Upper  Canada,  which  was  then  a  part  of 
the  province  of  Quebec. 

4  The  new  settlers  were  accommodated  with  farm- 
ing utensils  and  building  materials,  and,  for  the 
two  first  years,  were  supplied  with  provisions  and 
some  clothing,  at  the  national  expense.  They  were 
poor  in  consequence  of  the  revolutionary  war. 
Most  of  them  had  lived  several  of  the  last  years  in 
camp,  a  mode  of  life  not  very  favourable  to  in- 
dustry ;  but  having  been  bred  to  agriculture,  they, 
in  general,  soon  resumed  their  early  agricultural 
habits,  cleared  and  cultivated  their  farms  with  la- 
borious perseverance,  and  literally  converted  a 


UPPER   CANADA.  13 

wilderness  into  fruitful  fields.  No  other  people  on 
earth  are  so  well  formed  to  succeed  in  new  settle- 
ments as  the  Anglo-American  farmers,  commonly 
denominated  Yankees. 

"  To  put  a  mark  of  honour,"  as  it  was  expressed 
in  the  Orders  of  Council,  "  upon  the  families  who 
had  adhered  to  the  unity  of  the  empire,  and  joined 
the  royal  standard  in  America,  before  the  treaty  of 
separation  in  the  year  1783,"  a  list  of  such  persons 
was  directed,  in  1789,  to  be  made  out  and  returned, 
"  to  the  end  that  their  posterity  might  be  discrimi- 
nated from  the  then  future  settlers."  From  the 
initials  of  two  emphatic  words,  the  unity  of  the  em- 
pire,  it  was  styled  the  U.  E.  list ;  and  they  whose 
names  were  entered  on  it  were  distinguished  as  U. 
E.  loyalists,  a  distinction  of  some  consequence;  for, 
in  addition  to  the  provision  of  such  loyalists  them- 
selves, it  was  declared  that  their  children,  as  well 
those  born  thereafter,  as  those  already  born,  should, 
upon  arriving  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  and 
females  upon  their  marriage  within  that  age,  be 
entitled  to  grants  of  two  hundred  acres  each,  free 
from  all  expense.  In  pursuance  of  that  declaration 
these  gratuitous  grants  continue  to  be  made. 
Thousands  of  acres  are  thus  granted  every  year. 
As  the  sons  and  daughters  of  those  whose  names  are 
on  the  U.  E.  list  become  of  age,  they  petition  the 
lieutenant-governor,  in  council,  stating  the  facts, 
and  verifying  them  by  their  own  oath,  and  the 
affidavit  of  one  witness,  and  upon  such  petitions 
obtain  orders  for  the  land,  which  they  locate  in 


14  SKETCHES    OP 

some  of  the  new  townships,  and  then  take  out  their 
patents  without  cost*. 

To  encourage  the  further  population  of  the  pro- 
vince, a  lot  of  two  hundred  acres  was  allowed  to 
every  settler,  upon  condition  of  actual  settlement, 
and  payment  of  the  expense  of  surveying1  and  fees 
of  office,  amounting  in  the  whole  to  a  little  less  than 
thirty-eight  dollars. 

In  1791  Canada  was  divided  into  two  provinces, 
styled  Upper  Canada  and  Lower  Canada ;  the  one 
containing  all  the  French  seignories,  the  other,  all 
the  newly  settled  townships. 

General  Simcoe  was  appointed  the  first  lieute- 
nant-governor of  Upper  Canada.  He  arrived  in 
1792,  and  took  his  residence  at  Newark,  since 
named  Niagara,  where  the  first  parliament  was 
called,  and  held  five  successive  sessions.  The  seat 
of  government  was  then  removed  to  York,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  lake,  nearly  opposite  to  Niagara, 
where  a  settlement  had  been  made,  and  accommo- 
dations were  provided. 

It  was  a  favourite  object  of  Governor  Simcoe 's 
administration  to  promote  the  settling  of  the  pro- 
vince. For  that  purpose  he  made  liberal  grants  of 
land  to  many  settlers  from  the  States. 

*  In  February,  1816,  an  order  was  adopted,  requiring,  in 
addition  to  the  former  requisites,  a  certificate  from  the  president 
of  the  sessions  and  clerk  of  the  peace,  that  the  U.  E.  loyalist,  if 
living,  retained  his  loyalty,  and  did  his  duty  during  the  late  war, 
and  a  similar  certificate  respecting  the  applicant,  if  a  son,  and  in 
case  of  a  daughter,  respecting  her  husband,  if  she  is  married. 


UPPER   CANADA.  15 

General  Simcoe  being  transferred  to  another 
station,  the  administration  devolved  upon  the  Hon. 
Peter  Russell,  president  of  the  council.  In  1798, 
General  Hunter  was  appointed  lieutenant-governor, 
and,  arriving  in  the  province  the  next  year,  exer- 
cised the  office  six  years.  After  a  short  admini- 
stration under  the  Hon.  Alexander  Grant,  as  pre- 
sident, his  Excellency  Francis  Gore,  Esq.  was  ap- 
pointed lieutenant-governor,  and  has  continued 
in  office  to  the  present  time.  In  1811  he  went 
home  to  England,  and  did  not  return  until  Sep- 
tember, 1815.  In  his  absence  the  civil  admini- 
stration was  committed  successively  to  the  senior 
military  officer  in  the  province  for  the  time  being. 

The  first  of  these  successive  presidents  was 
Major-General  Sir  Isaac  Brock,  who  presided  at 
the  session  of  parliament  in  the  winter  of  1812, 
and  the  extra  session  in  the  summer  of  the  same 
year.  Upon  his  death,  in  October,  1812,  the  ad- 
ministration devolved  upon  Major-General  Sir 
Roger  Hale  Sheaffe,  who  presided  at  the  session  of 
1813,  and  was  succeeded  by  Major-General  Francis 
De  Rottenburg.  During  his  presidency  General 
De  Rottenburg  issued  a  proclamation,  declaring 
martial  law  to  be  in  force  throughout  the  province, 
so  far  as  respected  the  impressment  of  provisions 
and  forage  for  the  army.  The  preamble  stated  the 
necessity  of  the  measure ;  but  the  execution  of  it 
excited  considerable  sensibility  in  some  districts. 
It  was  revoked  by  his  successor  Lieut.-General  Sir 
Gordon  Drummond,  and  at  the  next  session  of  par- 
liament the  house  of  representatives  resolved  that 

1 


16  SKETCHES    OF 

this  proclamation  of  martial  law  was  unconstitu- 
tional and  subversive  of  law  and  liberty,  and 
ordered  the  resolution  to  be  entered  on  their 
journal,  as  a  solemn  protest  against  the  precedent. 
The  Court  of  King's  Bench  have,  since,  given  a 
similar  decision.  Upon  the  recal  of  Sir  George 
Prevost,  governor-general  of  the  British  North 
American  provinces,  General  Drummond  having 
presided  at  two  sessions  of  the  legislature  of  Upper 
Canada,  was  appointed  administrator  in  chief  of 
the  two  Canadas,  and  was  succeeded  in  the  admi- 
nistration of  this  province  by  Lieutenant-General 
Sir  George  Murray,  who  was  styled  Provincial 
Lieutenant-Governor.  When  he  returned  to  Eu- 
rope Major-General  Sir  Frederic  Phillips  Robinson 
succeeded,  and  continued  in  administration  until 
the  arrival  of  Governor  Gore. 

The  further  progress  and  present  state  of  the 
settlements  in  the  province,  will  be  noticed  in  a 
subsequent  Sketch. 


SKETCH  I!. 


'*    BOUNDARIES. 

Line  of  Division  from  Lower  Canada — Hudson's 
Say — United  States — Latitude  and  Longitude 
of  the  Source  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  North 


UPPER    CANADA.  17 

West  Point  of  the  Lake  of  the  Woods — Western 
Limits  indefinite — Discoveries  of  M'Kenzie,  and 
Lewis  and  Clarke — British  Posts  with  the  United 
States. 

IN  sketching"  the  Geography  of  the  province, 
the  first  object  is  to  ascertain  its  Boundaries. 

It  is  bounded  north  easterly  by  Lower  Canada, 
from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Hudson's  Bay : 
northerly  by  that  territory  :  south  easterly  by  the 
United  States.  Its  western  limits  are  unknown. 

On  the  East  and  North  the  boundary  line  is 
more  particularly  described  as  follows,  in  the 
Royal  Proclamation  of  November  18th,  1791, 
issued  in  pursuance  of  the  Act  of  Parliament  of  the 
same  year,  dividing-  the  province  of  Quebec  into 
the  provinces  of  Upper  and  Lower  Canada  :  "  To 
commence  at  a  stone  boundary  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  lake  St.  Francis,  at  the  cove  west  of  Pointe 
au  Bodet,  in  the  limit  between  the  township  of 
Lancaster,  and  the  Seigniory  of  New  Longueil, 
running  along  the  said  limit,  in  the  direction  of 
north  34  degrees  west,  to  the  westernmost  angle  of 
the  said  Seigniory  of  New  Longueil ;  thence  along 
the  north  western  boundary  of  the  Seigniory  of 
Vaudreuil,  running  north  '25  degrees  east,  until  it 
strikes  the  Ottawa  river ;  to  ascend  the  said  river  into 
the  lake  Tomescanning  j  and  from  the  head  of  the 
said  lake,  by  a  line  drawn  due  north,  until  it  strikes 
the  boundary  line  of  Hudson's  Bay,  including  all  the 
territory  to  the  westward  and  southward  of  the 

c 


18  SKETCHES   OF 

said  line,  to  the  utmost  extent  of  the  country  com- 
monly called  or  known  by  the  name  of  Canada." 

By  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  in  1713,  the  forty-ninth 
parallel  of  latitude,  was  settled  to  be  the  division 
between  the  French  colony  of  New  France,  and  the 
English  territory  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company; 
and  it  is,  o£  course,  the  boundary  of  the  province 
of  Upper  Canada  on  the  north*. 

Its  south  easterly  boundary  is  defined  in  the 
treaty  of  peace,  between  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States,  in  1783,  and  is  as  follows;  the  forty- 
fifth  degree  of  north  latitude,  until  it  strikes  the 
St.  Lawrence,  which  is  near  the  Indian  village  of 
St.  Regis,  a  little  above  the  lake  St.  Francis ;  thence 
in  the  middle  of  that  river,  up  to  lake  Ontario, 
along  the  middle  of  that  lake,  of  the  river  Niagara, 
of  lake  Erie,  Detroit,  lake  Sinclair,  the  river 
Sinclair,  lake  Huron,  the  strait  of  St.  Marie,  lake 
Superior,  (passing  north  of  Isles  Royal  and  Philli- 
peaux,)  to  the  Long  lake,  then  to  the  lake  of  the 
Woods,  thence  through  the  said  lake  to  the  north 
westernmost  point  thereof,  and  thence  due  west  to 
the  Mississippi. 


*  As  a  vast  north  western  region,  resorted  to  by  Indian  traders, 
however  fairly  included  within  provincial  limits,  was  in  fact  with- 
out the  actual  jurisdiction  of  any  provincial  government;  a  statute 
was  passed  in  the  British  Parliament,  in  the  year  1803,  for  the 
prevention  and  punishment  of  crimes  in  those  Indian  territories, 
by  the  appointment  of  Justices  of  the  Peace,  with  authority  to  ap- 
prehend criminals  and  send  them  to  Lower  Canada  for  trial.  Under 
that  statute,  several  persons  have  been  sent  to  Montreal,  and  there 
tried  for  acts  committed  in  the  distant  Indian  territories. 


UPPER   CANADA.  19 

Doubts  having  arisen  what  was  the  middle  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  and  said  lakes  and  intervening 
water  communication,  and  whether  certain  islands, 
lying"  in  the  same,  were  within  the  dominions  of 
his  Britannic  Majesty,  or  of  the  United  States,  it 
was  ordered  in  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  1814,  that 
Commissioners  should  be  appointed  to  decide  these 
doubts. 

In  1798,  it  was  ascertained  by  Mr.  Thompson, 
Astronomer  to  the  North  West  Company,  who  was 
sent  expressly  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  it,  that 
the  north  west  point  of  the  lake  of  the  Woods  is  in  lat. 
49°  37'  north,  and  long.  94°  31'  west,  and  the 
northernmost  sources  of  the  Mississippi  are  in  lat.  47* 
38'  north,  and  long.  95°  6'  west,  so  that  the  lines 
described  by  the  Treaty,  did  not  meet  by  almost 
two  degrees. 

To  supply  this  defect,  the  Governments  of  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States,  by  an  explanatory 
or  supplemental  convention,  in  1803,  agreed  that 
as  the  Mississippi  was  found  not  to  rise  so  far  north 
as  had  been  supposed,  the  boundary  should  be  a 
line  drawn  from  the  source  of  the  Mississippi, 
directly  to  the  north  west  point  of  the  lake  of  the 
Woods.  The  north  west  angle,  therefore,  of  the 
original  territory  of  the  United  States,  was  thus 
defined,  to  be  in  lat.  49°  37',  and  long.  95°  6'; 
that  is,  35'  due  west  of  the  north  western 
point  of  the  lake  of  the  Woods.  That  point  is  a 
permanent,  and  now  well-known  boundary;  but 
from  lake  Superior  to  the  lake  of  the  Woods,  the 
dividing*  line  is  not  ascertained.  Mr.  M'Kenzi* 

c  2 


20  SKETCHES   OF 

thinks  it  ought  to  be  drawn  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river  St.  Louis,  near  the  western  extremity  of  lake 
Superior,  and  up  that  river  to  its  source ;  thence  to 
the  waters  of  the  Rainy  lake ;  which  is  said  to  be 
the  common  route  of  the  Indians  to  the  lake  of  the 
Woods;  and,  to  remove  a  specious  objection,  he 
says,  there  is  no  such  Long-  lake,  as  the  treaty  sup- 
poses. The  line  thus  contended  for,  by  him,  would 
save  to  the  North  West  Company  the  Grand  Portage, 
and  several  other  trading  posts,  which  the  United 
States  consider  to  be  within  their  limits.  The  late 
treaty  of  peace,  signed  at  Ghent,  has  provided  for 
settling  this  dispute,  which,  indeed,  is  more  imme- 
diately interesting  to  the  Indian  traders,  than  to 
the  two  nations  at  large.  The  provision  is,  that 
the  Commissioners  for  deciding  the  line  through 
the  middle  of  the  lakes,  and  their  water  communi- 
cations, up  to  lake  Superior,  shall  also  determine 
and  fix  the  boundary  line,  thence  to  the  most  north 
western  point  of  the  lake  of  the  Woods,  according 
to  the  true  intent  of  the  treaty  of  1783. 

After  the  Convention  of  1803,  the  United  States 
purchased  Louisiana.  Whether  the  new  territory 
thus  acquired  by  them,  reaches  northward  to  the 
latitude  of  the  north  western  point  of  the  lake  of 
the  Woods,  how  far  it  spreads  westward,  and  where 
the  true  line  of  division  between  it  and  Canada 
will  fall,  are  questions  remaining  to  be  determined 
at  some  future  period,  when  the  determination  shall 
become  an  object  of  sufficient  consequence,  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  respective  governments. 
That  period  will,  probably,  not  be  very  remote,  if 
we  may  judge  from  the  progress  of  past  events. 


UPPER   CANADA.  21 

In  1793,  Mr.  M'Kenzie,  one  of  the  British  North 
West  Company,  penetrated  through  the  interior  of 
the  continent,  to  the  Pacific  Ocean,  in  lat.  52*  21', 
and  long.  128°  2',  and  took  possession,  in  the  name 
of  his  Britannic  Majesty.  Though  he  was  not  in 
the  immediate  service  of  the  Crown,  his  expedition 
appears  to  be  sanctioned  by  the  Ministry. 

In  the  years  1804,  5,  and  6,  Captains  Lewis  and 
Clarke,  with  an  exploring  party  in  the  service  of  the 
United  States,  ascended  the  Missouri,  3096  miles, 
to  its  source  in  the  rocky  mountains,  on  the  ridge 
dividing  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific; 
and  at  the  distance  of  three  quarters  of  a  mile,  they 
found  a  branch  of  the  Columbia,  which  they  fol- 
lowed down  to  the  main  stream,  and  thence  to  the 
Pacific,  in  lat.  46°  19'  north,  and  long.  123°  26' 
west,  about  500  miles,  according  to  the  line  of  the 
coast,  south  easterly  from  Mr.  M*Kenzie's  station. 
Their  whole  route,  from  the  confluence  of  the 
Missouri  with  the  Mississippi,  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Columbia,  was  4133  miles.  Of  all  the  country  thus 
explored,  Lewis  and  Clarke  took  formal  possession, 
in  the  name  of  the  United  States.  As  they  acted 
under  the  instruction  of  the  President,  authorized 
by  Congress,  their  act  was  the  act  of  their  govern- 
ment, and  amounts  to  a  public  claim  of  that  coun- 
try, as  belonging  to  the  United  States. 

Thus  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States,  claim 
contiguous  territories,  extending  across  the  conti- 
nent, from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  late  war,  a  company 
of  citizens  of  the  United  States,  had  established  a 


22  SKETCHES    OF 

trading  post  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  In  the 
course  of  the  war,  their  establishment  was  broken 
up  by  a  British  force.  This  may  perhaps  be  viewed 
as  an  act  of  public  hostilities,  rather  than  the 
assertion  of  an  interfering1  territorial  claim.  But 
the  collisions  of  Indian  traders  will,  probably,  re- 
quire some  national  adjustment  of  the  boundary 
line,  especially  if  the  subjects  of  either  nation 
should  be  interdicted  from  trading  with  the  Indians, 
within  the  limits  of  the  other. 

The  convention  of  1803  was  not  ratified;  and 
in  the  late  negociation  at  Ghent,  it  appears  not  to 
have  been  an  object  with  the  government  of  the 
United  States,  to  provide  for  its  ratification,  and 
the  ascertainment  of  the  line,  from  the  source  of 
the  Mississippi  due  north,  to  the  latitude  of  the 
north  west  point  of  the  lake  of  the  Woods.  That 
line  seems  to  be  considered  of  little  or  no  import- 
ance, since,  by  the  acquisition  of  Louisiana,  the 
territory  on  the  west  as  well  as  the  east  of  it,  now 
belongs  to  the  United  States. 

By  insisting  on  the  north  westernmost  point  of 
the  lake  of  the  Woods,  as  the  territorial  limit,  at 
the  western  extremity  of  the  divisional  line,  so  far 
as  it  is  settled,  it  seems  probable  that  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  understand  that  parallel 
of  latitude  to  be  the  line  of  division  further  west- 
ward, and  will  claim  the  jurisdiction  accordingly, 
unless  some  other  line  shall  be  fixed  by  treaty. 

At  the  date  of  the  Treaty  in  1783,  the  British 
forts  composing  their  frontier  cordon,  were  at 
Osweigatchie  (now  Ogdensburgh),  Carlton  Island, 


UPPER   CANADA.  23 

Oswego,  Niagara,  Erie,  Detroit,  and  Michilimack- 
inac;  all  of  them,  except  fort  Erie,  being1  on  the 
American  side  of  the  line  established  by  the  Treaty. 

For  agreeing  to  that  line,  the  ministry  have,  for 
this  reason,  been  censured,  particularly  by  the 
writer  of  General  Simcoe's  Life,  as  inattentive  to 
the  interests  of  Canada.  But  the  censure  appears 
unjust.  The  middle  of  the  great  water  communi- 
cation, was  the  place  of  division,  marked  out  by  the 
God  of  nature ;  and  if  permanence,  or  tranquillity 
of  possession,  is  an  object  of  national  importance, 
such  natural  boundaries  seem  to  be  far  preferable  to 
any  artificial  lines,  however  adapted  to  temporary 
convenience*. 

By  the  terms  of  the  Treaty,  those  British  posts, 
which  fell  within  the  United  States,  were  to  be 
relinquished  in  a  reasonable  period.  They  were, 
however,  retained  on  the  ground  of  infractions  of 
the  treaty,  on  the  part  of  the  United  States.  But 
in  consequence  of  the  subsequent  treaty  of  1794, 
the  garrisons  were  withdrawn. 

Carlton  Island,   on  which  one  of  them  was  situ- 

*  A  curious  mistake,  as  to  the  boundary  between  the  United 
States  and  Lower  Canada,  was  discovered  in  1818,  by  the  com- 
missioners appointed  to  settle  the  line  between  the  two  countries. 
Rous's  Point,  an  important  military  station  on  lake  Champlain, 
had  been  understood  to  be  south  of  latitude  45°.  With  this  im- 
pression, the  American  government,  since  the  late  war,  went  to 
great  expense  in  erecting  fortifications  upon  it,  which  would  have 
commanded  the  entrance  into  the  lake  from  the  British  side.  Upon, 
investigation,  it  appeared  that  Rous's  Point  was  half  a  mile  north 
of  latitude  45°,  and  of  course  has,  with  its  fortifications,  become 
British  property. — R.  G. 


24  SKETCHES    01' 

ated,  is  in  the  St.  Lawrence,  a  small  distance  below 
Kingston,  on  the  American  side  of  the  ship  chan- 
nel, which  it  is  believed  passes  between  it  and 
Wolfe  Island  *.  The  fortification  was  dismantled, 
the  barracks  destroyed,  and  the  troops  removed 
across  the  river ;  but,  as  the  United  States  had  not 
received  the  possession  of  the  island,  a  corporal's 
guard  from  the  garrison  at  Kingston,  was  stationed 
there  until  the  late  war.  The  chimneys  of  the  old 
barracks  are  still  standing. 

The  garrison  at  Niagara  was  placed  at  fort 
George,  on  the  British  side  of  the  river,  in  the 
township  of  Niagara. 

From  Detroit,  the  military  force  was  brought 
over  to  Amherstburgh,  in  the  township  of  Maiden,  a 
few  miles  below  Detroit,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
strait,  near  the  head  of  lake  Erie.  The  ,  civil  and 
commercial  establishments  were  transferred  to 
Sandwich,  almost  opposite,  but  a  little  below  the 
old  town  of  Detroit. 

The  garrison  of  Michilimackinac  was  removed 
about  forty  miles  northward  to  the  island  of  St. 
Joseph,  in  the  north  western  corner  of  lake  Huron, 
near  the  strait  of  St.  Marie.  The  fort  originally 
built  by  the  French,  and  afterwards  possessed  by 

*  Mr.  Heriot  supposes  that  the  line  of  division  between  the 
United  States  and  Upper  Canada,  passes  through  Grand  Isle,  now 
called  Wolfe  Island ;  upon  the  principle,  I  presume,  that  the  mid- 
dle of  the  river,  in  the  sense  of  the  treaty,  means,  not  the  channel, 
but  literally  the  middle,  between  the  banks  of  the  river.  Upon 
that  construction,  the  greatest  part  of  this  island  belongs  to  the 
United  States. 


UPPER   CANADA.  25 

the  English,  was  upon  a  point  of  the  main  land,  on 
the  easterly  side  of  the  communication  between 
lakes  Huron  and  Michigan;  but  the  United  States 
have  placed  their  garrison  six  miles  north  east  of 
the  old  fortification,  on  a  small  barren  island, 
which,  from  its  resemblance  to  the  shape  of  a  tor- 
toise, called  in  the  Chippawa  tongue  Michilimac- 
kinac,  received  that  Indian  name,  and  communi- 
cated it  to  the  water  by  which  it  was  surrounded. 
Mr.  Heriot,  however,  deduces  its  name  from  the 
Indian  word  "  Imakinakos,"  meaning  spirits,  of 
which  this  island  was  supposed  to  be  the  place  of 
residence. 

Michilimackinac  is  in  lat.  45°  54'  north.  St. 
Joseph  is  in  lat.  46°  30'  north. 

These  were  at  the  commencement  of  the  late  war 
the  two  westernmost  posts  maintained  by  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States,  in  this  country, 
situated  on  two  islands  in  the  same  lake. 

One  of  the  earliest  operations  of  the  late  war  was 
the  capture  of  Michilimackinac,  by  a  company  of 
British  troops  from  St.  Joseph,  commanded  by 
Captain  Roberts,  aided  by  the  North  West  Com- 
pany Traders  and  their  engagees,  and  the  neigh- 
bouring Indians.  Lieutenant  Hanks  surrendered 
the  fort  by  capitulation,  July  17,  1812,  just  a 
month  after  the  declaration  of  war.  This  successful 
expedition  is  one  among  many  proofs  of  the  as- 
cendancy which  is  acquired  over  Indians  by  the 
traders  who  intermix  with  them,  and  supply  them 
with  their  favourite  articles  of  merchandise.  It 
had  no  small  influence  in  determining  General  Hull 


26  SKETCHES   OF 

to  surrender  his  army   and   territory   to  General 
Brock. 

In  May,  1814,  Lieutenant-Colonel  M'Dowall  ar- 
rived at  Michilimackinac,  with  supplies  and  a 
reinforcement,  having  made  his  way  from  the  east 
end  of  lake  Huron  in  boats.  He  put  the  fort  into 
a  formidable  state  of  defence.  The  American  fleet 
having-  in  the  preceding  September  obtained  the 
command  of  lake  Erie,  a  squadron  of  their  vessels 
from  that  lake  sailed  up  through  the  lake  and  river 
Sinclair  into  lake  Huron,  with  a  detachment  of 
troops  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Croghan,  the  for- 
tunate defender  of  Sandusky.  In  July,  they  took 
St.  Joseph,  and  destroyed  a  settlement  of  the  North 
West  Company,  on  the  north  side  of  the  strait  of 
St.  Mary;  and,  on  the  5th  of  August,  landed  on  the 
island  of  Michilimackinac,  and  advanced  to  attack 
the  fort,  but  were  repulsed  with  the  loss  of  Major 
Holmes,  and  seventeen  privates  killed.  The  squa- 
dron having  captured  every  British  vessel  on  lake 
Huron,  returned  to  lake  Erie,  except  two  schooners, 
the  Tygress  and  the  Scorpion,  which  were  left  to 
keep  possession,  and  intercept  supplies  for  Michili- 
mackinac. Lieutenant  Worsley,  of  the  British 
navy,  with  a  party  of  sailors  and  soldiers,  in  boats, 
in  the  month  of  September,  surprised  and  took  one 
of  these  schooners,  without  giving  any  alarm  to  the 
other,  which  was  lying  at  a  distance  of  several 
miles.  He  then  proceeded  in  the  captured  schooner 
with  all  his  men  concealed,  except  a  few  sailors, 
whose  dress  could  not  be  distinguished  from  that 
of  the  Americans,  until  he  came  along  side,  when 


UPPER    CANADA.  27 

he  fired  one  charge  of  grape  shot  across  the  Ame- 
rican deck,  and  instantly  boarding  with  his  whole 
little  force,  made  a  second  prize  without  much 
resistance.  By  these  gallant  and  successful  efforts, 
he  recovered  the  command  of  lake  Huron,  and  kept 
it  through  the  remainder  of  the  war. 

The  fortification  of  St.  Joseph  was  not  renewed, 
that  place  being  so  situated,  as  to  be  exposed  in 
several  points  to  the  attacks  of  the  superior  naval 
force  on  the  lake.  Colonel  M*  Do  wall,  with  an 
engineer  from  the  army,  and  Captains  Collier  and 
M'Kenzie,  of  the  navy,  explored  and  chose  a  site  for 
a  fort  on  the  westernmost  of  the  Mantoulin  Islands, 
a  few  miles  north  east  of  St.  Joseph,  much  more 
secure  and  susceptible  of  defence.  Before  the 
peace,  the  new  fortification  was  commenced,  and 
was  named  Fort  Drummond. 


SKETCH  III. 

NATURAL  DIVISIONS  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

Width  of  the  Province  at  the  North  Eastern  Limit 
— Diverging  Courses  of  the  Boundary  Waters 
— Peninsula  between  the  Lakes — Country  beyond 
the  Lakes — British  Claim  extending  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean — North  West  Fur  Trade— Hudson  Bay 
Company. 

SUCH  is  the  irregular  shape  of  the  province, 
and  such  its  want  of  comprehensive  surveys,  that 


28  SKETCHES    OF 

no  calculation,  and  indeed  no  satisfactory  estimate 
of  its  superficial  contents  can  be  formed. 

We  will  merely  take  a  topographical  view  of  its 
situation  and  natural  divisions. 

At  the  north  eastern  limit,  the  distance  from  the 
lake  St.  Francis,  which  is  only  an  expansion  of  the 
river  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Ottawa,  is  about  twenty 
miles,  being  the  depth  of  two  townships,  Lancaster* 
and  Hawksbury,  one  fronting  on  each  river. 

The  general  course  of  the  shore  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence, and  Jake  Ontario,  is  south  westerly.  That  of 
the  Ottawa  is  westerly,  as  far  as  the  township  of 
Nepean,  a  few  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Rideau,  and  fifty  miles  north  of  Elizabeth  town. 
The  Ottawa  then  bends  to  the  north  west. 

Seventy  miles  further  westward,  at  Earnest  town, 
on  the  Ontario,  the  width  of  the  province,  that  is, 
the  meridional  distance  from  the  lake  Ontario  to 
the  river  Ottawa,  is  a  hundred  miles  by  computa- 
tion, although  it  has  never  been  accurately  mea- 
sured. 

The  forks  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Ottawa 
with  the  Petite  Riviere,  coming  into  it  from  the 
south  west,  are  in  lat.  46°  45'  north,  and  long.  78° 
45'  west,  and  about  350  miles  from  the  eastern 
extremity  of  the  province,  as  the  river  runs.  The 
distance  from  the  forks  up  to  the  lake  Tomescanning, 
and  the  length  of  that  lake,  are  not  precisely  ascer- 

*  Lancaster  was  a  township  of  double  the  usual  size;  it  has 
lately  been  divided  into  two.  Of  itself  it  extended  nearly  twenty 
miles. R.  G. 


UPPER  CANADA.  29 

tained.  The  course  of%  the  Petite  Riviere  to  its 
head  waters,  and  over  to  those  which  flow  into 
lake  Nipissing,  and  thence  into  lake  Huron,  on 
its  north  eastern  side,  has  been  more  frequently 
traversed,  being  the  usual  canoe  route,  by  which 
goods  are  sent  to  the  North  West,  for  the  fur  trade, 
and  peltries  and  furs  received  in  return. 

The  vast  wilderness  between  that  route  and  the 
settlements  along  lake  Ontario  is  little  known. 
It  is  part  of  the  hunting  ground  of  the  Chippawa 
Indians,  and  not  supposed  to  be  very  favourable 
for  cultivation. 

But  to  the  southward  there  is  an  extensive  and 
valuable  tract,  almost  surrounded  by  a  chain  of 
connected  lakes. 

By  a  gradual  and  scarcely  perceptible  ascent 
from  the  shore  of  Ontario,  at  York,  towards  the 
north,  about  20  miles,  you  reach  the  height  of 
ground,  from  whence  the  waters  run  northerly  into 
lake  Simcoe,  thence  into  lake  Huron,  and  round 
through  Sinclair,  Detroit,  and  Erie,  into  Ontario, 
a  circuit  of  1000  miles. 

The  peninsula  thus  formed  is  an  irregular  ellipsis, 
250  miles  long,  from  Amherstburgh  to  the  head  of 
Huron;  and  more  than  150  miles  broad,  from 
Niagara  to  the  outlet  of  Huron. 

A  few  miles  west  of  York,  the  highlands  collect 
into  a  ridge,  turning  round  the  head  of  lake  On- 
tario, at  the  variable  distance  of  a  mile  or  two, 
until  it  approaches  the  Niagara,  where  it  diverges 
from  the  lake  shore  and  crosses  the  river  at  Queen- 
ston,  seven  miles  above  the  lake.  Here  there  is 
some  reason  to  believe  the  falls  of  Niagara  once  were. 


30  SKETCHES  OF 

coinciding*  with  this  ridge  *  of  land  and  formed  by 
it,  although  they  are  now  seven  miles  further  up, 
south,  with  intervening  rapids,  and  a  deep  chasm 
in  the  bed  of  the  river  below  the  cataract. 

It  is  ascertained  that  the  surface  of  lake  Erie  is 
300  feet  higher  than  that  of  lake  Ontario;  and 
from  the  ridge  or  elevation  of  land  running  round 
the  head  of  Ontario,  as  above  mentioned,  the  coun- 
try back  appears  to  be  a  vast  plain  on  a  level  with 
the  shores  of  Erie.  In  respect  to  climate  or  soil, 
hardly  any  country  in  the  habitable  world  is  more 
favourable  for  settlement  and  cultivationf. 

The  land  on  the  other  side  of  lakes  Huron  and 
Superior,  appears  to  be  designed  for  other  purposes 
than  agriculture.  Indian  tribes,  some  of  them 
wandering  and  others  stationary,  occupy  it  in  a 

*  The  word  ridge  is  not,  I  think,  correctly  applied  here.  Ridge 
means  a  prolonged  height  with  a  declivity  on  both  aides.  The  height 
spoken  of  declines  only  towards  lake  Ontario,  having  a  plain  called 
by  Volney  the  table  of  lake  Erie,  on  the  west  side.  It  is  called  the 
mountain,  I  presume,  from  a  wrong  adoption  of  French  idiom. 
The  slope  towards  lake  Ontario  is  every  where  steep,  and  in  some 
places  craggy.  It  may  run  from  200  to  300  feet  of  perpendicular 
height  above  the  plain  below.  At  Queenston,  the  highest  point  is 
345  feet  above  the  surface  level  of  lake  Ontario.  The  rise  from 
lake  Ontario  to  lake  Erie  stands  thus,  by  admeasurement;  from 
fort  George  to  Queenston,  8  inches ;  from  Queenston  to  the  Falls, 
116  feet;  the  great  Fall,  149  feet  6  inches;  thence  to  Chippawa, 
55  feet;  and  from  Chippawa  to  fo:t  Erie  (computed),  8  feet: 
making  in  all  329  feet  2  inches. R.  G. 

+  The  tract  of  country  south  of  the  lakes  and  north  of  the 
river  Ohio,  embracing  the  state  of  Ohio,  and  the  Indiana,  Illinois, 
and  Missouri  territories,  in  the  parallels  of  New  Jersey  and  Penn- 
sylvania, lies  more  exactly  in  the  medium  between  the  extreme* 
of  heat  and  cold  j  and  is  perhaps  superior. 


UPPER  CANADA.  31 

manner  adapted  to  their  habits  of  life.  Before 
the  conquest  of  Canada,  the  French,  and  since  that 
period,  British  traders  have  penetrated  this  uncul- 
tivated interior,  in  prosecution  of  a  commerce  with 
the  natives  for  furs. 

It  is  not  within  the  scope  of  these  Sketches  to 
discuss  the  right  of  the  British  crown,  founded  ac- 
cording- to  the  law  of  nations,  upon  conquest,  ces- 
sion, or  discovery,  to  the  dominion  of  this  country, 
northward,  as  far  as  the  Frozen  Ocean,  and  westward 
to  the  Pacific,  to  which  limits  Mr.  M'Kenzie  and 
other  British  subjects  have  travelled  and  taken  pos- 
session in  the  name  of  their  sovereign ;  nor  upon  the 
supposition  of  such  a  western  extent  of  the  empire, 
will  we  examine  the  question  whether  the  province 
of  Upper  Canada  is  co-extensive,  or  where  its  precise 
limits  are.  A  geographical  glance  at  the  north 
west,  as  the  region  of  the  fur  trade,  is  all  that  is 
proposed. 

The  grand  portage,  where  the  goods  sent  from 
Montreal  up  the  Ottawa  in  canoes,  and  those  trans- 
ported in  vessels  over  the  lakes,  used  to  meet  in 
their  progress  to  the  Indian  markets,  is  situated 
on  the  westerly  side  of  lake  Superior,  in  lat. 
48°  north,  and  long.  90°  west.  The  trading  estab- 
lishment there  belonged  to  the  North  West  Com- 
pany. But  that  place  being  claimed  by  the  United 
States,  as  within  their  north  western  territory,  the 
British  Company  have  established  a  post  further 
north.  This  company  is  not  a  corporation,  but  a 
respectable  firm  of  merchants,  principally  of  Mon- 
treal, who  have  assumed  that  name ;  and  who  by 
a  combination  of  capital,  and  a  systematic  atten- 


32  SKETCHES   OF 

tion  to  the  business,  have  engrossed  the  commerce 
of  the  north  west.  They  have  agents  residing  in 
London  to  send  out  their  goods,  and  make  sale  of 
their  peltries  and  furs.  Their  stock  in  the  concern 
is  between  one  and  two  hundred  thousand  pounds 
sterling.  Previous  to  the  late  war  they  kept 
vessels  on  the  lakes  Ontario,  Erie,  Huron,  and 
Superior.  They  employ  seventy  clerks  and  inter- 
preters, between  thirty  and  forty  guides,  and  more 
than  a  thousand  canoe  men.  Most  of  these,  with 
others,  are  sometimes  assembled  at  the  company's 
depot.  From  thence  the  collected  peltries  and  furs 
are  remitted  to  Montreal,  and  the  goods  forwarded 
in  different  routes,  principally  to  Fort  Chepewyan, 
another  establishment  of  the  company,  in  lat. 
58°  38'  north,  and  long.  110°  26'  west,  being  the 
head  quarters  of  the  commercial  intercourse  with 
various  Indian  nations. 

The  goods  are  sent  and  the  skins  returned  in 
canoes  made  of  birch  bark ;  for  the  country  is  so 
broken  into  lakes  and  rivers,  that  people  may  find 
their  way  in  such  canoes  in  almost  any  direction 
they  please,  with  a  few  intervening  portages,  over 
which  these  light  vehicles'  are  easily  carried.  In- 
deed, Mr.  M'Kenzie  who  went,  in  1789,  from 
Chippewyan  northward,  beyond  the  sixty -ninth  de- 
gree of  latitude,  and  ascertained  the  long  contro- 
verted point  that  there  is  no  particular  north  west 
passage,  by  water,  from  Europe  to  Asia ;  and 
in  1793  penetrated  westward  to  the  Pacific, 
performed  these  tours  of  discovery  in  a  canoe,  and 
published  his  Journal  of  them,  not  as  Travels,  but 
"  Voyages  through  the  Continent  of  America." 


UPPER   CANADA.  33 

The  fur  animals  inhabiting  these  north  western 
regions,  may  be  perceived  by  the  Company's  re- 
turns of  the  produce  of  their  trade  for  one  year,  as 
follows : 

Beaver  skins          .  .  106,100 

Bear  skins  f «6l;      [  ,>,t         2,100 

Fox  skins  ••p.;».f       n^i  1,500 

Kitt  Fox  skins  .  .  4,000 

Otter  skins  .  .  4,600 

Musquash  skins       \  ';. :.->j       >,„         17,000 
Martin  skins          ,  I),  t  32,000 

Mink  skins  joJ          [,„/;      18,000 

Lynx  skins          \x.;;       :f.[.  6,000 

Wolverene  skins          .  .  600 

-    Fisher  skins  .  .  1,650 

Raccoon  skins  .  .  100 

Wolfskins  "«,  '..„-.;,  3,800 

Elk  skins  i>uK       t  te  700 

Deer  skins  .U  *         '.)  750 

Do.  dressed  .L0)j.       -.,.+  ,.        1,200 

Buffalo  robes          .  ,uf;  500 

and  a  quantity  of  Castorum. 

In  exchange  for  which  the  Indians  receive  coarse 
woollen  cloths,  milled  blankets,  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion, tobacco,  Manchester  goods,  linens,  and  coarse 
sheetings,  thread,  lines  and  twine,  common  hard- 
ware, cutlery  and  ironmongery,  kettles  of  brass, 
and  copper,  and  sheet  iron,  silk  and  cotton  hand- 
kerchiefs, hats,  shoes,  and  hose,  calico  and  printed 
cottons,  &c.  &c.  &c. 

These  goods  being  ordered  in  the  fall,  are  ship- 
ped from  London  in  the  spring,  arrive  in  Canada 

D 


34  SKETCHES   OP 

in  the  summer,  are  made  up  and  packed  in  the 
winter,  forwarded  from  Montreal  in  May  follow- 
ing, reach  the  Indian  markets  the  next  winter, 
where  they  are  exchanged  for  skins,  which  are 
received  the  next  fall  at  Montreal,  whence  they  are 
shipped  chiefly  to  London,  where  they  are  not  sold 
or  paid  for  until  the  ensuing  spring. 

Such  is  the  course  of  this  trade,  requiring  capi- 
tal, connexions,  system,  and  perseverance,  beyond 
the  means  of  unassociated  individuals. 

The  North  West  Company  are  said  to  have  had 
a  number  of  trading  houses  within  the  alleged 
limits  of  the  United  States ;  and  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  complain  of  their  encroachments  on  their 
territory;  an  interference  which  has  occasioned 
serious  hostilities  between  the  agents  and  servants 
of  the  two  companies. 

The  charter  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  was 
granted  by  King  Charles  II.  in  1662,  to  Prince 
Rupert  and  his  associates.  It  extends  to  all  lands 
\  that  lie  within  the  streights,  commonly  called 
Hudson's  Streights,  together  with  the  countries, 
coasts  and  confines  of  the  seas,  bays,  lakes,  rivers, 
creeks,  and  sounds,  not  already  possessed  by  any 
other  Christian  prince  or  state;  and  gives  not  only 
the  right  of  soil,  but  also  the  jurisdiction  and  right 
of  government,  and  also  the  exclusive  right  of 
trade  and  navigation.  With  respect  to  its  extent, 
the  company  claim  all  the  country,  the  waters  of 
which  flow  into  Hudson's  Bay ;  and  that  seems  to 
be  the  natural  construction  of  the  terms  of  grant 
contained  in  the  charter;  unless  some  part  of  the 
country  thus  claimed,  was  then  possessed  by  the 


UPPER  CANADA.  35 

"Christian  prince,  or  state"  of  France,  so  as  to  be 
on  that  principle  excepted  from  the  grant.  At  that 
time,  and  long  afterwards,  the  geography  of  these 
remote  interior  regions  was  very  imperfectly  un- 
derstood. Half  a  century  later,  at  the  treaty  of 
Utrecht,  the  line  between  the  British  territory  of 
Hudson's  Bay,  and  the  French  territory  of  New 
France,  since  denominated  Canada,  was  settled  to 
be  the  forty-ninth  degree  of  latitude.  If  that  set- 
tlement of  the  boundary  between  the  two  nations 
be  conclusive  upon  the  company,  it  curtailed  their 
original  grant  about  three  degrees  of  latitude ;  for 
the  head  waters  of  the  Red  River,  running  into 
lake  Winipeck,  and  thence  into  Hudson's  Bay,  are 
stated  by  late  travellers  to  rise  almost  as  far  south 
as  the  forty-sixth  degree  of  latitude,  and  so  far 
south  the  company  claim  the  land  as  covered  by 
their  charter.  Indeed  they  have  a  settlement  al- 
ready commenced  on  the  Red  River,  under  the 
auspices  of  Lord  Selkirk,  one  of  their  principal 
proprietors.  A  part  of  the  territory  thus  claimed 
by  them  is  supposed  to  lie  within  the  limits  assign- 
ed to  Upper  Canada,  in  the  proclamation  of  1791. 
It  interferes  also  with  the  claim  of  the  United 
States,  which  extends  westward  to  all  the  country 
south  of  the  latitude  of  the  north  westernmost  angle 
of  the  lake  of  the  Woods,  in  49°  37'.  How  far 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  title  to  the  soil  under 
their  charter  would  be  respected,  as  to  lands  falling 
within  the  United  States,  or  even  in  Upper  Ca- 
nada, it  is  not  now  necessary  to  decide.  Between 
adjoining  provinces,  the  rule  adopted  in  theory 


36  SKETCHES   OF 

has  been  that  a  grant  of  the  right  of  soil,  in  a  char- 
ter from  the  crown,  is  neither  revoked  nor  revo^ 
cable  by  a  subsequent  transfer  of  the  jurisdiction. 
But  in  practice  this  theoretic  maxim  has  sometimes 
yielded  to  political  or  other  considerations. 

The  constitutional  prerogative  of  the  crown  to 
grant  the  right  of  property  in  those  public  waste 
lands,  to  incorporate  the  company,  and  vest  them 
with  powers  of  government,  was  unquestionable. 

The  legal  existence,  and  the  general  rights  and 
estate  of  the  company  have  been  incidentally  re- 
cognised by  Parliament,  particular^  in  a  statute 
of  the  18th  of  Geo.  II.  c.  17.  passed  for  the  en- 
couragement of  persons  attempting  to  discover  a 
north  west  passage  through  Hudson's  Streights  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  act  concludes  with  this 
clause,  "  Provided  always  that  nothing  in  this  act 
shall  any  ways  extend,  or  be  construed  to  take 
away  or  prejudice  any  of  the  estate,  rights,  or 
privileges,  of  or  belonging  to  the  Governor  and 
Company  of  Adventurers  of  England,  trading  into 
Hudson's  Bay."  This  amounts  to  a  recognition 
and  protection  of  their  corporate  estate,  rights,  and 
privileges,  without,  however,  specifying  what  they 
are.  One  of  the  privileges  granted  by  their  char- 
ter, the  exclusive  right  of  trade,  has  been  called 
in  question,  upon  this  ground,  that  according  to 
the  principles  of  the  English  constitution,  such  a 
grant  is  not  within  the  Royal  prerogative,  and 
therefore  is  not  valid  without  parliamentary  con- 
firmation. Such  confirmation  it  has  indirectly 
received.  In  the  treaty  of  1794,  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States,  article  3d.  it  was 


UPPER   CANADA.  37 

agreed,  "  that  it  shall  at  all  times  be  free  to  his 
Majesty's  subjects,  and  to  the  citizens  of  the  United 
States ;  and  also  to  the  Indians  dwelling  on  either 
side  of  the  said  boundary  line,  freely  to  pass  and 
repass  by  land  or  inland  navigation,  into  the  re- 
spective territories  and  countries  of  the  two  parties 
on  the  continent  of  America,  (the  country  within  the 
limits  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  only  excepted), 
and  to  navigate  all  the  lakes,  rivers,  and  waters  there- 
of; and  freely  to  carry  on  trade  and  commerce  with 
each  other."  The  exception  of  "  the  country 
within  the  limits  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company," 
from  the  general  freedom  of  commercial  intercourse, 
is  understood  to  be  predicated  upon  the  exclusive 
right  to  the  trade  and  navigation  there,  which 
would  have  been  violated  by  the  admission  of 
others  without  their  consent.  The  act  of  Parlia- 
ment for  carrying  the  treaty  into  execution,  was  a 
legislative  confirmation  of  it.  So  that  their  ex- 
clusive privilege  of  trade  seems  to  have  received 
the  indirect  sanction  of  Parliament*. 


SKETCH  IV. 

LAKES,  RIVERS,  CATARACTS,  BAYS, 
AND  HARBOURS. 

Long  Lake — Rivers  running  in  opposite  directions — 
Lake  Superior — Strait  of  St.  Marie — St.  Joseph 

•  The  above  statement  of  the  treaty  of  Utrecht  must  not  be  re- 
lied on,  without  a  re-examination  of  the  treaty,  which  the  writer 
had  not  in  his  possession. 


38  SKETCHES   OF 

— Michilimackinac  and  Lake  Michigan — Lake 
Huron—  Lake  Simcoe — River  and  Lake  Sinclair, 
and  the  River  Thames — Battles  of  Harrison  and 
Proctor ,  of  Long  Woods — Detroit — Lake  Erie, 
its  Bays  and  Capes,  and  Level  with  the  Ohio — 
Battles  on  and  round  the  Lake — Niagara  Falls, 
River,  Harbours,  Battles — Lake  Ontario — Bur- 
lington Bay — York  Harbour — Capture  of  York 
*— Route  by  Yonge  Street  to  the  North  West 
— Presque  Isle — Bay  of  Quinte— Earnest  Town, 
Sound,  and  Harbour — Kingston — Harbours  on 
the  south  Shore  and  Battles — Lake  Fleets — 
Islands — River  St.  Lawrence—- Prescott  and  Og- 
densburah — Rapids — Confluence  of  the  Ottawa — 
Rise  and  Fall  of  Waters— Tides. 

IN  drawing*  the  boundary  line  between  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  the  treaty  mentions  a 
lake,  west  of  lake  Superior,  by  the  name  of  the 
Long1  lake.  Mr.  M'Kenzie  says,  it  has  no  exist- 
ence ;  but  according  to  the  late  Surveyor-General 
Smith  and  others,  there  is  a  chain  of  small  lakes 
connected  by  a  stream  running  westerly  from  one 
to  another.  This  connexion  of  waters  is  supposed 
to  be  what  was  intended  under  the  description  of 
the  Long  lake,  the  geography  of  this  interior  re- 
gion being  at  that  time  very  imperfectly  under- 
stood. The  westernmost  and  principal  of  these 
small  lakes  is  the  Rainy  lake,  communicating  by  the 
river  La  Pluie,  with  ther  lake  of  the  Woods  al- 
ready described,  from  which  the  communication  is 
continued  to  lake  Winipeck,  which  discharges  its 
waters  by  the  river  Nelson,  into  Hudson's  Bay. 


UPPER   CANADA.  39 

Lake  Superior  is  the  fountain  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence. Captain  Carver,  who  travelled  in  1766,  sup- 
posed this  great  river  and  three  others,  the  Mississip- 
pi, the  Oregon,  or  River  of  the  West,  and  the  Bourbon, 
to  have  their  sources  near  together,  although  they 
quarter  the  continent  and  seek  the  ocean  in  oppo- 
site directions.  His  information  was  derived  from 
the  Indians,  whose  representations  were  not  correct. 

We  have  attended  to  the  latitude  and  longitude 
of  the  head  of  the  Mississippi.  The  Missouri,  its 
western  branch,  rises  at  a  great  distance  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  where  also  springs  one  branch 
of  the  great  river  Columbia,  named  by  Captain 
Carver  the  Oregon,  which  empties  into  the  Pacific, 
and  according  to  Mr.  M'Kenzie,  there  is  the  source 
of  the  Nelson,  which  is  lost  in  Hudson's  Bay,  as 
already  mentioned  ;  and  another  stream  which  he 
has  named  M'Kenzie's  River,  and  which  he  traced 
up  to  lat.  69°  14'  north,  and  long.  135°  west,  where  he 
met  an  opening,  supposed,  from  the  whales  found 
there  and  other  circumstances,  to  be  a  bay  of  the 
northern  ocean.  But  the  head  waters  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  rise  around  lake  Superior,  which  is  their 
grand  reservoir. 

The  magnitude  of  this  lake  justifies  its  name; 
it  is  the  largest  body  of  fresh  water  in  the  known 
world.  Its  computed  length  is  450  miles;  its 
circumference  1500  miles.  The  computation  how- 
ever of  the  extent  of  this  and  the  other  lakes,  has 
not  been  formed  upon  very  certain  data.  It  con- 
tains a  number  of  large  islands,  one  of  them  re- 
puted to  be  100  miles  long,  and  40  broad.  The  two 
largest,  Royal  and  Phillipeaux,  are  defined  by  the 


40  SKETCHES   OF 

treaty  to  be  on  the  United  States  side  of  the  line. 
Its  water  is  deep,  pure,  and  so  transparent,  that  the 
rocky  bottom  may  be  seen  at  a  great  depth.  The 
shores,  in  many  places,  are  said  to  abound  with  cop- 
per ore  and  copperas :  but  I  do  not  find  that  any 
satisfactory  assays  have  been  made  of  the  ore.  The 
surrounding  land  is  rocky,  uneven,  and  unfit  for 
cultivation.  The  lake  is  supplied  by  many  rivers, 
principally  on  its  northern  side,  but  none  of  very 
great  length. 

The  French  had  a  schooner  on  this  lake,  which 
they  burned  on  the  surrender  of  Canada.  It  is  now 
navigated  by  a  number  of  vessels,  and  many  boats 
and  canoes,  which  proceed  coastwise  from  St. 
Marie's  Strait  round  to  the  Grand  Portage,  a  dist- 
ance of  more  than  500  miles. 

From  various  indications  it  is  believed,  that  the 
waters  of  this,  as  of  the  other  lakes  in  general,  have 
subsided  some  feet  below  their  original  height. 
But  they  have  now  (1815),  risen  again  several  feet 
above  their  average  level  for  a  few  years  past. 

The  outlet  is  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  lake, 
through  the  strait  of  St.  Marie,  which  is  about  40 
miles  in  length.  Near  the  head  of  it,  are  the 
Rapids  usually  called  the  falls  of  St.  Marie,  in  lat. 
46°  31'  north,  and  long.  84°  west.  The  strait  is 
navigable  for  boats  and  canoes,  except  at  the  falls, 
where  although  it  may  be  descended  with  some  dif- 
ficulty and  hazard,  it  cannot  be  ascended  without 
the  aid  of  locks.  The  portage  is  about  two  miles; 
at  the  foot  of  the  falls  is  a  celebrated  fishery,  espe- 
cially for  White  fish. 

The  strait  of  St.  Marie  opens  into  lake  Huron 


UPPER    CANADA.  41 

at  its  north  western  angle,  near  which  is  the  Island 
of  St.  Joseph,  where  the  westernmost  British  gar- 
rison was  established  after  the  upper  posts  were  re- 
linquished to  the  United  States.  It  is  a  place  of  no 
trade,  resorted  to  by  the  Indians  solely  for  the  pur- 
pose of  receiving  their  annual  presents. 

About  40  miles  south,  the  strait  of  Michilimacki- 
nac,  15  miles  in  length,  introduces  the  waters 
of  lake  Michigan,  which  extends  southerly,  260 
miles  into  the  United  States.  The  river  Chicago, 
falling  into  the  south  end  of  lake  Michigan,  is 
navigable  up  to  within  four  miles  of  the  Kicka- 
poo,  a  branch  of  the  Illinois,  a  navigable  stream  of 
the  Mississippi.  From  Green  Bay,  the  western 
arm  of  lake  Michigan,  boats  can  ascend  the  Fox 
river  to  within  two  miles  of  the  Ouiscousen,  which 
enters  the  Mississippi  three  miles  below  Prairie  de 
Chiens,  leaving  a  portage  of  only  two  miles. 

The  circumference  of  lake  Huron,  has  been  es- 
timated at  1000  miles  ;  but  it  is  too  irregular  to 
admit  of  much  precision.  In  length  it  reaches 
from  Michilimackinac  on  the  west  to  Matchedash, 
now  denominated  Gloucester  Bay,  on  the  east,  where 
the  waters  of  lake  Simcoe  enter  from  the  south 
east ;  near  the  northern  coast  there  is  a  string  of 
islands,  called  Manitou  or  Manitoulin  islands,  re- 
garded by  the  Indians  with  a  degree  of  reverence, 
as  the  residence  of  spirits.  The  south  shore  is  deep- 
ly indented  with  capes  and  bays.  In  the  eastern 
part  of  it,  the  promontory  of  Cabot's  Head,  runs 
northerly  half  across  the  lake  towards  the  Manitou 
islands.  Saganum  Bay  stretches  to  the  south  west, 
80  miles  inland,  and  is  generally  about  20  miles 


42  SKETCHES    OF 

wide.  A  broader  and  longer  bay,  without  any  ap- 
propriate name,  spreads  down  south,  until  it  nar- 
rows into  a  channel  called  the  river  Sinclair,  which 
runs  southerly  to  the  lake  of  that  name,  an  expan- 
sion of  waters,  30  miles  in  length  and  nearly  as 
much  in  breadth,  with  several  islands  in  it. 

Lake  Sinclair  receives  in  its  south  eastern  quar- 
ter the  river  Thames,  formerly  the  La  Trenche,  a 
river  of  considerable  extent,  without  falls,  commu- 
nicating from  its  upper  branches,  by  small  portages, 
with  lake  Huron,  and  also  with  the  Grand  river, 
now  styled  the  Ouse  *.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Thames 
is  a  sand  bar,  over  which,  however,  small  craft 
rigged,  and  large  vessels  when  lightened,  may  pass. 
The  navigation  then  is  good  up  to  Chatham,  15 
miles  above  the  bar. 

The  Moravian  towns,  twenty  miles  above 
Chatham  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  have  become 
famous  in  consequence  of  the  battle  fought  there 
October  5, 1813,  between  the  British  and  Indian 
forces,  under  General  Proctor  and  the  Indian  Chief 
Tecumseh,  and  the  army  of  General  Harrison.  The 
former  had  retreated  from  Maiden  by  way  of  Sand- 
wich, to  this  place  ;  the  latter  had  pursued  up  the 
Thames  on  the  left  bank,  and  crossing  over  to  the 
right  or  north  side  in  the  morning,  came  up  be- 
fore night  with  General  Proctor's  line,  which  was 
formed  in  open  order  with  his  left  wing  resting  on 
the  river,  and  his  right  in  the  edge  of  a  swamp, 
where  the  Indians  were  advantageously  posted, 
still  further  to  the  right.  The  ground  between  the 

*  It  is  invariably  called  the  Grand  River. R.  G. 


UPPER   CANADA.  43 

river  and  the  swamp  was  a  wood  without  under- 
brush. General  Harrison  having-  determined  to 
make  his  main  attack  upon  the  British  regulars, 
and  to  avoid  a  contest  with  the  Indians  in  their 
chosen  position,  formed  his  right  in  a  line  from  the 
river  towards  the  swamp,  and  his  left  at  right 
angles  with  the  right,  thus  refusing  his  left  to  the 
Indians.  The  Kentucky  and  Ohio  mounted  volun- 
teers, under  the  command  of  Colonel  Johnson,  were 
posted  in  front  of  the  infantry ;  and  the  whole  were 
yet  covered  by  the  wood.  These  volunteers  were 
then  ordered  to  advance,  and  as  soon  as  their  op- 
ponents had  delivered  one  fire  to  charge  at  full 
speed.  They  did  so.  In  a  minute  they  broke 
through  the  line,  and  as  they  wheeled  about,  the 
British  troops,  finding  it  impossible  to  resist  so  su- 
perior a  force,  or  to  make  good  a  retreat  under  their 
circumstances,  generally  surrendered  without  a 
second  fire.  The  main  body  of  the  Indians  were 
not  engaged;  but,  seeing  the  British  line  routed, 
took  to  their  heels.  Some  of  them,  however,  with 
Tecumseh  at  their  head,  maintained  for  some  time 
a  desperate  engagement  with  the  left  wing  of  John- 
son's mounted  men,  till  their  celebrated  leader 
fell,  and  Johnson's  battalion  was  reinforced.  They 
then  gave  way  and  fled.  Colonel  Johnson  was  se- 
verely but  not  mortally  wounded.  The  number 
of  prisoners  taken  by  General  Harrison,  according 
to  his  official  statement,  was  25  officers  and  609 
non-commissioned  officers  and  privates;  General 
Proctor  escaped  with  about  250  men.  General 
Harrison's  army  consisted  of  about  3,500  men. 


44  SKETCHES    OF 

The  whole  number  of  Indians  or  their  loss  was  not 
ascertained.  The  body  of  the  fallen  Tecumseh 
was  disfigured  and  treated  with  indignity  by  some 
of  the  Kentucky  volunteers. 

In  the  Long  Woods,  a  place  higher  up  the  river 
Thames,  on  the  fourth  of  March  following,  Cap- 
tain Holmes,  with  160  rangers  from  General  Har- 
rison's army,  was  attacked  by  two  British  compa- 
nies, led  by  Captain  Barsden ;  the  former  were  post- 
ed vety  advantageously  behind  a  temporary  breast- 
work. The  assailants  advanced  to  the  charge  up 
the  side  of  a  hill  glazed  with  ice  ;  and  being  ex- 
posed to  the  deadly  aim  of  the  American  rifles,  were 
cut  down  and  compelled  to  retreat,  with  a  loss  of 
nearly  half  their  whole  number  killed,  wounded, 
and  taken  prisoners. 

The  lake  and  river  Sinclair,  though  shallow  in 
some  parts,  are  navigable  for  schooners,  which,  in- 
deed, can  pass  with  safety  up  to  the  falls  of  St. 
Marie. 

From  lake  Sinclair,  down  to  lake  Erie,  in  a 
southern  course,  not  direct,  but  somewhat  curved, 
there  is  a  beautiful  channel  about  27  miles  in 
length,  which  has  long  been  known  by  the  French 
name  of  Detroit,  th^t  is,  in  English,  The  Strait. 
It  is  navigable  for  lake  vessels  of  any  ordinary  size. 

On  the  western  side,  nine  miles  below  the  outlet 
of  lake  Sinclair,  stands  the  town  of  Detroit,  where 
the  French,  before  the  conquest,  and  afterwards  the 
English,  until  1794,  kept  a  garrison,  and  where  the 
United  States  now  have  a  considerable  military  \ 
force.  It  is  a  handsome  town,  containing  300 


UPPER   CANADA.  45 

houses,  with  villages  and  orchards  extending  up 
and  down  the  river,  so  delightfully  situated  that  it 
has  been  styled  the  Montpelier  of  America.  Having 
been  destroyed  by  fire,  it  was  rebuilt  in  a  better  style 
than  before  the  conflagration.  It  is  the  seat  of 
government  of  the  Michigan  territory,  belonging 
to  the  United  States. 

On  the  16th  of  August,  1812,  Detroit  and  the 
whole  territory  of  Michigan  was  surrendered  by 
General  Bull  to  General  Brock.  It  remained 
under  British  authority  more  than  a  year.  After 
the  decisive  actions  on  lake  Erie  and  at  the 
Moravian  towns,  it  came  again  into  the  possession 
of  the  United  States.  The  fort  was  repaired,  and 
is  now  very  strong. 

A  little  below,  on  the  east  side  of  the  channel  of 
the  river,  is  a  low  marshy  island,  named  Turkey 
island,  or  Fighting  island,  near  four  miles  long. 
Sandwich  is  situated  on  a  small  plain,  close  to 
the  bank  of  the  river.  Its  harbour  is  convenient 
for  the  building  of  wharfs,  and  the  security  of 
vessels  in  the  winter. 

General  Hull  landed  at  Sandwich  when  he  in- 
vaded Canada  in  July,  1812.  Here  he  issued  his 
Proclamation  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  province,  a 
number  of  whom  joined  his  standard.  Some  grain 
and  other  private  property  was  taken,  for  the  use 
of  the  army;  and  a  dwelling  house  and  several 
other  buildings  were  burned,  by  some  of  the 
American  troops.  Preparations  were  made  for  an 
attack  upon  Maiden,  but  the  enterprise  was  relin- 
quished. After  one  month's  possession,  he  recrossed 


46  SKETCHES    OF 

the  river  and  returned  to  Detroit,  whither  he  was 
soon  followed  by  General  Brock.  General  Harrison 
entered  Sandwich  in  September,  1813,  from  which 
time  it  continued,  with  the  whole  western  district 
of  Upper  Cauada,  in  subjection- to  the  United  States 
until  the  peace,  under  the  same  regulations  as  had 
been  adopted  in  the  territory  of  Michigan,  while 
subject  to  British  authority. 

Maguaga,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  is  14 
miles  below  Detroit.  There,  a  combined  British 
and  Indian  force,  led  by  Major  Muir  and  Tecumseh, 
August  9,  1812,  attacked  a  detachment  of  General 
Hull's  army,  consisting  of  600  men,  commanded 
by  Colonel  Miller,  who,  after  one  fire,  charged 
them  with  the  bayonet  and  routed  them. 

In  describing  the  boundaries  of  the  Province,  we 
had  occasion  to  mention  the  military  post  of  Am- 
herstburgh,  in  the  township  of  Maiden,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Detroit.  Near  the  east  shore  of  the  river, 
and  on  the  British  side  of  the  widest  channel,  lies 
an  island  named  Bois  Blanc,  containing  150,  or 
200  acres,  orginally  covered  with  white  wood, 
whence  its  name  was  derived.  The  deepest  channel, 
however,  is  on  the  easterly  side  of  the  island.  This 
island  is  valuable  in  two  respects;  as  it  commands  the 
strait,  and,  at  the  same  time,  shelters  the  port  of 
Amherstburgh,  which  is  the  safest  and  most  com- 
modious harbour  in  this  part  of  the  country,  for 
naval  or  commercial  purposes.  The  British  fleet  of 
lake  Erie  is  stationed  here ;  and  it  is  an  increasing 
depot  of  western  commerce,  in  competition  with 
Sandwich.  The  garrison  at  Amherstburgh  furnishes 


UPPER   CANADA.  47 

a  detachment  to  Bois  Blanc,  to  keep  possession  of 
the  island,  which  is  claimed  by  the  United  States, 
as  on  their  side  of  the  channel.  This  claim  is  more 
interesting-  in  a  military  point  of  view,  than  in  res- 
pect to  commerce. 

Within  the  township  of  Maiden,  five  or  six  miles 
north  of  Amherstburgh,  the  river  Aux  Canard  en- 
ters the  Detroit.  A  bridge  over  this  river  was  the 
scene  of  some  skirmishing  in  August,  1812,  between 
a  detachment  of  General  Hull's  army,  under  Co- 
lonels Cass  and  Miller,  and  a  British  guard  stationed 
there  to  defend  that  pass.  A  few  miles  further  up, 
in  the  township  of  Sandwich,  Turkey  creek  falls 
into  the  strait. 

In  the  early  stages  of  the  war,  Amherstburgh  was 
a  post  of  great  consequence.  It  stopped  the  pro- 
gress of  General  Hull's  invasion.  It  was  the  rally- 
ing point  where  General  Brock  concentred  his 
forces,  to  proceed  on  his  bold  expedition  against 
General  Hull  at  Detroit.  It  was  a  place  of  ren- 
dezvous for  the  Indians  who  followed  the  British 
standard.  Here  also  the  ships  were  built,  and  the 
fleet  fitted  out  for  lake  Erie. 

After  the  defeat  and  capture  of  the  British 
squadron  under  Commodore  Barclay,  General  Proc- 
tor abandoned  Amherstburgh,  having  burned  the 
fort,  navy  yard,  barracks,  and  public  storehouses. 
General  Harrison  landed  without  opposition,  Sep- 
tember 23,  1813.  It  remained  in  subjection  to 
the  United  States,  during  the  residue  of  the  war. 
At  the  peace  it  was  restored,  and  is  re-established 
as  a  military  post. 


48  SKETCHES   OF 

Opposite  to  Maiden,  in  the  territory  of  Michigan, 
is  the  village  of  Brownstown,  in  which  a  party  of 
Indians,  in  the  British  service,  accomplished  one  of 
their  favorite  operations  of  war,  an  ambuscade. 

On  the  4th  of  August,  1812,  a  detachment  of  200 
militia  of  General  Hull's  army,  under  the  command 
of  Major  General  Home,  on  their  march  from 
Detroit  to  the  river  Raisin,  were  here  ambushed, 
attacked  and  defeated. 

Lake  Erie  is  near  300  miles  long,  in  a  direction 
from  south  west  to  north  east.  Its  breadth  is  from 
20  to  40  miles  generally.  At  Port  Talbot,  its 
widest  point,  it  is  60  miles ;  and  at  Long  Point,  the 
narrowest  place,  it  is  only  20. 

The  entrance  of  the  Detroit  is  in  latitude  40°  52' 
on  the  north  side  of  the  south  western  point,  which 
is  at  Miami  Bay.  Its  outlet  is  the  Niagara  river,  at 
the  north  eastern  point,  in  latitude  42°  53'.  On  the 
Canada  side  of  this  outlet,  is  the  harbour  of  fort 
Erie,  and  on  the  opposite  side  is  that  of  Buffalo,  in 
the  state  of  New  York.  From  these  two  ports, 
which  are  only  three  miles  apart,  the  navigators  of 
the  lake  sail  west  south  west,  about  260  miles,  to  a 
cluster  of  islands,  one  of  which  has  a  good  harbour, 
called  Put-in-Bay,  on  the  United  States  side  of 
the  middle  line.  Thence  the  course  is  northerly, 
36  miles  to  Amherst burgh,  and  south  westerly,  30 
miles  to  Miami  Bay.  These  are  the  distances  as 
estimated  by  those  who  navigate  the  lake;  but 
they  have  not  been  accurately  measured. 

The  southern  shore  of  lake  Erie  is  in  the  United 
States.  From  the  mouth  of  the  Detroit  to  Miami 

1 


UPPER   CANADA.  49 

Bay,  it  is  in  the  territory  of  Michigan ;  thence  to 
Connaught  Creek,  250  miles  in  the  state  of  Ohio; 
thence  to  a  little  east  of  Presque  Isle,  now  named 
Erie,  45  miles  in  Pennsylvania ;  thence  to  Buffalo, 
90  miles  in  the  state  of  New  York. 

About  20  miles  from  the  Detroit  the  river  Raisin 
enters  the  lake  from  the  west.  French  Town,  on 
this  river,  has  been  signalized  by  the  defeat  and 
surrender  of  General  Winchester,  and  the  Indian 
barbarities  which  ensued.  General  Proctor,  the 
British  commander,  could  not  restrain  the  savages 
from  massacring  a  number  of  American  prisoners. 

Miami  Bay,  near  the  boundary  between  Michi- 
gan and  Ohio,  receives  the  Miami  of  the  lake, 
which  is  navigable  for  boats  to  within  12  miles  of 
the  waters  of  the  Great  Miami  of  the  Ohio;  and, 
by  another  branch,  to  within  five  miles  of  those  of 
the  Wabash,  another  stream  of  the  Ohio. 

Near  the  mouth  of  the  Miami  of  the  lake,  a 
British  fort  was  built  in  1794,  to  stop  the  march  of 
General  Wayne,  who  was  advancing,  it  was  ap- 
prehended, for  the  purpose  of  seizing  Detroit.  But 
his  expedition  was  against  the  Indians.  He  fought 
their  collected  forces  near  the  rapids,  and  gave 
them  a  total  defeat.  Near  the  rapids,  also,  on  the 
right  bank  of  the  river,  stands  Fort  Meigs,  where 
General  Harrison  was  besieged  by  General  Proctor, 
in  the  winter  and  spring  of  1813.  During  the 
siege,  Major  Chambers,  with  a  flag  from  General 
Proctor,  held  out  to  General  Harrison  the  danger 
of  outrages  from  the  Indians,  if  irritated  by  further 
defence.  It  had  no  effect.  In  the  beginning  of 


60  SKETCHES   OP 

May,  General  Clay  arrived  with  a  reinforcement  of 
Kentucky  militia.  As  they  were  coming  down  the 
river  in  boats,  a  detachment  of  them  under  Colonel 
Dudley  were  ordered  to  land  and  attack  a  British 
battery,  and  spike  the  cannon,  which  they  accom- 
plished ;  but,  instead  of  hastening  back  to  their 
boats,  and  passing  down  to  the  fort,  as  their  orders 
directed,  they  loitered  on  the  shore,  until  they  were 
attacked  by  a  large  force  of  regular  troops,  militia 
and  Indians,  from  General  Proctor's  camp.  Colonel 
Dudley  was  killed;  and  nearly  all  his  men  were 
killed  and  wounded,  or  taken  prisoners.  But  the 
Indians  became  dissatisfied ;  and  in  consequence  of 
two  successful  sorties,  both  made  on  the  fifth  of 
May,  the  principal  one  led  by  Colonel  Miller,  the 
siege  was  raised,  and  General  Proctor  withdrew  his 
army  towards  Detroit. 

Sandusky  Bay,  further  east,  is  a  capacious  har- 
bour; and  its  river  communicates  by  a  portage  of 
about  four  miles  with  the  Scioto,  a  navigable  stream 
of  the  Ohio.  On  this  river  there  are  two  forts, 
Upper  Sandusky,  and  Lower  Sandusky,  sometimes 
called  Fort  Stevenson.  The  latter  was  besieged  by 
General  Proctor,  in  August,  1813.  Major  Croghan, 
a  young  officer,  just  past  his  twenty-first  year, 
gained  no  small  applause  by  his  disregard  of  a 
threat  of  an  Indian  massacre,  and  his  able  defence 
of  the  fort.  An  attempt  was  made  to  carry  it  by 
storm  ;  but  the  assailants  were  repulsed  with  heavy 
loss,  received  chiefly  from  a  masked  battery, 
opened  upon  them  in  the  ditch.  Lieutenant-Co- 
lonel Short,  who  led  the  attack,  was  killed.  The 
siege  was  immediately  abandoned. 


UPPER   CANADA.  61 

About  the  middle  of  the  south  shore  is  Cleaveland, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Cayahaga,  from  whose 
head  waters  there  is  a  carrying-  place  of  12  or  15 
miles,  to  the  Tuscarawas  branch  of  the  Muskingum, 
and  thence  down  to  the  Ohio. 

Further  east  still  is  the  harbour  of  Erie,  from 
which  there  is  a  portage  of  14  miles,  over  a  turn- 
pike road,  to  Waterford,  formerly  named  Le  Boeuf, 
on  the  French  creek,  which  is  navigable  for  boats 
down  to  its  junction  with  the  Allegany,  at  Franklin, 
and  thence  down  to  Pittsburg,  where  the  Alleganjr 
and  Monongahela  unite  and  form  the  Ohio. 

At  some  of  these  places  of  communication,  in  the 
spring,  the  head  waters  of  lake  Erie  and  of  the 
Ohio  are  said  to  intermix,  so  that  boats  can  pass 
clear  through. 

There  are  tolerable  harbours  at  the  mouths  of 
several  other  rivers  on  the  south  shore,  through 
which  the  inhabitants  of  the  northern  counties  of 
the  state  of  Ohio,  will  be  able  to  hold  a  commercial 
communication  with  the  lake. 

The  north  shore  from  the  Detroit  eastward  is 
wholly  in  the  province  of  Upper  Canada.  It  is 
rendered  irregular  by  several  capes  or  points  of 
land.  The  first  is  Point  Pele,  or  South  Foreland, 
which  projects  a  great  length  into  the  lake.  It 
lies  south  of  Romney,  and  of  the  east  border  of 
lake  Sinclair.  It  is  the  most  southern  point  of 
Canada,  and  indeed  of  all  the  British  territories  on 
this  continent.  The  next  is  Landguard,  formerly 
called  Point  aux  Pins,  whence  there  is  a  short  north 
westerly  route  to  Chatham  on  the  Thames.  The 
E  2 


52  SKETCHES   OF 

third  is  North  Foreland,  better  known  by  the  name 
of  Long  Point,  which  is  a  peninsula  projecting 
from  the  south  west  angle  of  Walsingham,  eastward 
into  the  lake,  about  twenty  miles,  making  an  arm 
that  embays  a  large  body  of  water.  Where  the 
peninsula  joins  the  main,  there  is  a  creek,  which, 
when  the  waters  are  high,  is  of  sufficient  depth  for 
boats  to  pass,  from  within  the  bay,  over  the  creek, 
into  the  open  lake ;  and  when  the  waters  are  low, 
the  distance  is  so  short,  that  batteux  are  easily 
hauled  over.  Within  this  long  promontory,  east- 
ward, is  Turkey  Point.  North  of  Turkey  Point,  in 
the  township  of  Woodhouse,  is  the  village  of  Dover 9 
which  was  burned  in  the  last  year  of  the  late  war, 
by  a  party  of  militia  from  the  opposite  shore,  under 
a  Colonel  Campbell,  acting,  as  the  secretary  of  the 
United  States  declared,  without  any  orders  or  au- 
thority from  their  government. 

Further  east  still,  between  the  township  of  Wain- 
fleet  and  Rainham,  is  the  mouth  of  Grand  River, 
or  Ouse,  which  rises  near  lake  Huron,  and  passes 
by  the  waters  of  the  Thames.  It  is  navigable 
many  miles  for  small  vessels,  and  a  considerable 
distance  further  for  boats.  About  fifty  miles  up  is 
the  Mohawk  village ;  and  the  other  six  nations  of 
Indians  have  villages  on  its  banks. 

Twenty-four  miles  east  of  the  Grand  River,  and 
ten  miles  west  of  Fort  Erie,  is  Point  Abino,  which 
affords  a  convenient  shelter,  and  good  anchorage 
for  vessels. 

Between  Grand  River  and  Point  Abino,  is  Sugar- 
loaf  Hill,  a  conspicuous  land  mark,  well  known  to 
both  sailors  and  passengers. 


UPPER  CANADA.  53 

Compared  with  the  other  lakes  the  water  of  this 
is  shallow  ;  and  the  bottom  is  so  generally  composed 
of  flat  rocks,  as  to  afford  but  little  good  anchoring 
ground.  The  navigation  of  it  is  more  difficult  than 
that  of  Ontario,  on  account  of  the  different  courses 
which  vessels  must  steer  from  one  end  to  the  other. 
From  Blackrock,  or  Chippawa,  the  course  is  south- 
erly, and  the  current  is  so  swift,  that  vessels  cannot 
sail  up  without  a  fair  and  a  strong  wind.  At  the 
other  end  the  course  is  northerly  into  the  Detroit. 
The  winds  blow  three  quarters  of  the  sailing  season 
from  the  south  west.  Another  difficulty  arises  from 
the  ragged  and  rocky  shores,  and  the  want  of 
anchorage. 

His  Britannic  Majesty  and  the  United  States 
have  long  maintained  a  naval  force  on  this  lake. 
In  the  late  war  it  was  augmented  on  both  sides, 
till  the  British  consisted  of  two  ships,  two  brigs, 
one  schooner,  and  one  sloop,  carrying  in  the  whole 
63  guns ;  that  of  the  United  States  carried  54  guns, 
besides  a  number  of  gun-boats.  On  the  10th  of 
September,  1813,  the  two  little  fleets  met  between 
Amherstburgh  and  Put-in-Bay,  from  which  ports 
they  had  respectively  sailed  in  search  of  each  other. 
The  result  of  a  severe  engagement  was  that  the 
whole  British  squadron,  commanded  by  Commodore 
Barclay,  though  successful  at  first,  was  notwith- 
standing the  exertion  of  consummate  bravery  and 
skill,  finally  captured  by  the  American  squadron 
under  Commodore  Perry,  assisted  by  Captain  Elliot. 
The  British  commander,  who  had  before  lost  one 
arm  in  battle,  was  now  severely  wounded  in  the 


54  SKETCHES    OF 

other.  In  this  scene  of  accumulated  distress,  he  found 
a  friend  in  his  enemy.  The  brave  are  naturally 
.humane.  Commodore  Perry  paid  the  most  delicate 
attention  to  his  equally  heroic,  but  less  fortunate 
rival.  The  brave,  too,  are  grateful  as  well  as 
humane.  There  is  as  much  magnanimity  in  ac- 
knowledging as  in  bestowing  a  kindness.  At  a 
public  dinner  given  afterwards  at  Three  Rivers,  in 
Lower  Canada,  in  honour  of  Commodore  Barclay, 
he  gave  as  a  volunteer  toast,  "  Commodore  Perry, 
the  gallant  but  generous  enemy.1'  Of  all  the  com- 
pliments paid  to  the  hero  of  lake  Erie,  this  is  far 
from  being  the  least.  Had  the  fortunes  of  these 
liberal  men,  on  that  eventful  day,  been  reversed, 
there  is  good  reason  to  believe,  their  humanity  and 
gratitude  would  only  have  changed  sides.  There 
is  a  pleasure  in  recording  such  examples ;  and  their 
influence  is  salutary  in  softening  the  ferocity  of 
war. 

Two  naval  enterprises  which  occurred  near  Fort 
Erie,  at  different  times,  but  similar  in  their  nature, 
are  worthy  of  notice.  In  the  first  year  of  the  war, 
Captain  Elliott,  with  100  men,  in  two  boats,  pro- 
ceeded in  the  night  from  Buffalo  Creek  to  the 
harbour  of  Fort  Erie,  and  there  boarded  two  British 
brigs,  the  Detroit  of  14  guns,  formerly  the  Adams, 
which  had  been  taken  at  Detroit,  by  General 
Brock,  and  now  had  American  prisoners  and  arms 
on  board,  and  the  Caledonia,  belonging  to  the 
North  West  Company,  with  a  cargo  of  furs.  As 
the  wind  .did  not  enable  him  to  stem  the  current, 
and  carry  his  prizes  up  into  the  lake,  he  ran  down 


UPPER   CANADA.  55 

by  the  fort,  amidst  the  fire  of  the  batteries,  and 
steered  for  Black  Rock,  where  he  safely  beached  the 
Caledonia ;  but  the  Detroit  got  aground  on  Squaw 
island;  Major  Ormsby,  the  commandant  of  Fort 
Erie,  with  a  party  of  sailors  and  soldiers  there 
boarded  her,  to  bring  her  off;  but  they  were  driven 
back,  with  the  loss  of  the  major,  and  about  30 
privates.  Neither  party  succeeded  in  getting1  her 
off.  She  sunk  and  was  lost.  In  the  last  summer 
of  the  war,  while  General  Drummond  was  be- 
sieging Fort  Erie,  three  American  schooners  lay 
off  in  the  river  below  the  fort,  in  such  positions  as 
to  annoy  the  besiegers.  Captain  Dobbs,  of  the 
British  Ontario  fleet,  transporting  four  boats  from 
the  Chippawa  over  land,  into  Lake  Erie,  above  the 
fort,  in  the  night,  and  passing  round  into  the  Nia- 
gara, approached  the  schooners  under  the  appear- 
ance of  American  market  boats,  and  boarded  two 
of  them,  which  he  brought  down  and  secured  near 
Navy  island. 

In  the  summer  of  1815,  two  armed  schooners 
were  built  on  the  British  side,  above  Chippawa, 
opposite  to  Navy  island.  They  are  now  on  the 
lake,  in  his  Majesty's  service. 

Fort  Erie  stands  on  ground  elevated  about  15 
feet  above  the  water.  Prior  to  the  war  it  was  an 
indifferent  fortification.  In  the  fluctuating  pro- 
gress of  the  war,  it  was  alternately  possessed  by 
both  armies.  In  May,  1813,  after  the  capture  of 
Fort  George,  it  was  abandoned  by  the  British,  and 
occupied  by  a  corps  detached  for  that  purpose  from 
General  Dearborn's  army.  Before  the  close  of  that 


66  SKETCHES  OF 

campaign  it  was  reoccupied  by  the  British.  July 
3d,  1814,  it  surrendered  without  much  resistance 
to  General  Brown's  army,  as  soon  almost  as  they 
landed  from  the  other  shore,  some  of  them  above 
and  others  below  the  fort.  After  the  battles  of 
Chippawa  and  Niagara,  and  the  return  of  the  re- 
mains  of  the  American  army,  under  General  Ripley, 
it  was  strengthened  and  the  works  enlarged.  A 
new  fort  or  redoubt  was  erected  on  Snake  Hill,  to 
the  left  of  the  old  fort,  and  connected  with  it  by  an 
intervening  breast  work,  ditch,  and  abattis.  Gene- 
ral Drummond  soon  commenced  a  regular  siege. 
In  the  night  of  the  15th  of  August,  he  made  a 
grand  effort  to  storm  it,  at  three  different  points, 
by  three  separate  columns;  the  right  commanded 
by  Lieutenant- Colonel  Vicker,  the  left  by  Colonel 
Scott,  and  the  center  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Drum- 
mond. The  fort  was  then  defended  by  General 
Gains,  assisted  by  Generals  Ripley,  Porter,  and 
Miller.  The  operations  of  the  three  storming  par- 
ties were  intended  to  be  simultaneous;  but  the 
right  column  began  the  attack,  and  advanced  un- 
til they  were  within  ten  feet  of  General  Ripley's 
line,  when  they  were  repulsed,  but  instantly  re- 
newed the  charge  and  were  again  repulsed.  The 
left  column  made  a  vigorous  assault;  but  were 
checked  and  compelled  to  retire.  Colonel  Scott 
was  mortally  wounded.  The  column  led  by  Colonel 
Drumrroiid,  approached  with  ladders,  amidst  a 
tremendous  fire,  and  scaled  the  parapet  of  the 
exterior  bastion;  but  were  driven  back.  They 
ascended  again,  and  met  with  a  second  repulse.  A 


UPPER  CANADA.  57 

third  time  they  gained  the  parapet,    and  with  a 
desperate  impetuosity,    carried  the  bastion.     The 
Americans  then  fired  on  them  at  close  shot  from 
the   interior  bastion,    and  repeatedly   charged   to 
dislodge  them.      They    sustained  these  successive 
shocks  with  firmness,    although  thinned  by  such 
repeated  charges,  and  the  incessant  fire  of  cannon 
and  musketry.      The  American  left  being  disen- 
gaged,   now  rushed  with  a  reinforcement  to  this 
.contested  point.     The  contest  for  the  bastion  was 
obstinate  and  sanguinary.    Colonel  Drummond  fell, 
pierced  with  several  balls.     At  this  crisis,  the  ex- 
plosion of  a  box  of  cartridges,  in  an  adjoining  stone 
building,  increased  the  carnage  and  confusion,  and 
forced  the  survivors  of  Colonel  Drummond's  column 
out  of  the  bastion.     As  they  retired,  they  were 
fired  on  by  a  raking  battery,  and  enfiladed  by  a 
field  piece  so  placed,  as  to  sweep  the  salient  glacis. 
The  British  loss  was  900   killed,   wounded,   and 
taken  prisoners  :  that  of  the  Americans  much  less. 
Thus  General  Drummond's  well-concerted  attack 
was  defeated  in  all  its  points.     Disappointed,  but 
not  discouraged,  he  prosecuted  the  siege  with  more 
caution,  but  not  with  less  zeal ;  being  resolved,  if 
possible,  to  drive  the  invaders  from  the  province. 
In  a  month  he  had  completed  an  advanced  line  of 
batteries,  intrenchments,  and  block-houses,  reach- 
ing from  the  Niagara,  round  to  the  lake,  at  the 
distance  of  500  yards  from  the  fort.    His  camp  was 
two  miles  in  the  rear  of  these  works,  so  that  his 
reserve  was  out  of  the  range  of  the  fire  from  the 
fort ;  while  the  batteries  thus  planted  could  play 


58  SKETCHES    OF 

upon  it  with  effect,  and  a  new  one  was  just  ready 
to  be  opened.  On  the  17th  of  September,  General 
Brown  having-  recovered  from  his  wounds  received 
at  Lundy's  Lane,  and  resumed  the  command  at 
Fort  Erie,  made  a  sortie,  with  2000  men,  stormed 
three  of  these  batteries,  two  block-houses,  and  the 
intervening1  line  of  intrenchments,  spiked  the  can- 
non, and  blew  up  one  magazine;  but  upon  the 
approach  of  the  British  reserve,  withdrew  his  troops 
into  the  fort,  having  accomplished  the  main  object 
of  the  sortie,  and  not  choosing  to  hazard  any  thing 
more.  The  circumstances  were  such  as  to  give 
both  sides  occasion  to  claim  the  honour  of  victory. 
The  action  at  all  the  batteries  was  not  more  than 
an  hour  and  a^alf;  but  from  the  nature  of  the 
attack  it  was  close  and  severe.  General  Ripley 
was  dangerously  wounded.  The  American  loss,  in 
killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  exceeded  500; 
that  of  the  British  was  considerably  more. 

General  Drummond's  forces  being  weakened  by 
this  blow,  and  having  already  suffered  severely  from 
fatigue,  and  exposure,  and  sickness,  during  a  siege 
of  50  days,  in  a  rainy  season  and  muddy  ground, 
he  appears  to  have  been  of  opinion  that  he  could 
not  be  justified  in  persevering  any  longer.  He 
therefore  determined  to  raise  the  siege.  According- 
ly, in  the  evening  of  the  21st,  he  broke  up  his 
camp,  and  fell  back  to  Chippawa.  At  the  close  of 
this  arduous  campaign,  General  Brown  dismantled 
Fort  Erie,  moved  his  army  across  the  river,  and 
went  into  winter  quarters. 

Fort  Erie  has  a  good  harbour,  and  a  pleasant 

1 


UPPER  CANADA.  59 

little  village.     Several  houses  and  barns  were  burnt 
in   this  vicinity,    arid   indeed  throughout  all  the 
country,  which  was  the  scene  of  military  operations. 
Mills  were  ranked  among-  the  resources  of  war,  and 
were  therefore  professedly  destroyed.     Other  build- 
ings were  burned  from  wantonness,  private  malice, 
or  mere  accident.     The  march  of  an  army,  even 
of  defenders,  and  much  more  of  invaders,  is  gene- 
rally tracked  with  desolation.     Amidst  the  inva- 
sions and  retreats,  the  marches  and  counter-marches, 
the  encampments,   sieges,   and  battles,  which  di- 
versified the  war  on  the  Niagara  frontier,  it  was 
scarcely  possible  that  the  inhabitants   should  not 
suffer  in  their  habitations  and  property.     Of  these 
sufferers  the  village  of  Fort  Erie  had  its  share. 

Nearly  opposite  to  it,  in  the  state  of  New  York, 
stands  the  village  of  Buffalo,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
creek  of  that  name,  on  the  stage  road  from  Albany, 
at  the  distance  of  296  miles  from  that  city.  The 
creek,  for  more  than  a  mile,  has  depth  enough  of 
water  for  a  good  harbour  ;  but  the  channel  into  it 
is  crooked  and  difficult,  being  obstructed  by  a  bar, 
so  that  vessels  are  obliged  to  anchor  off  in  an  open 
bay,  exposed  to  the  lake  winds.  During  the  late 
war,  Buffalo  was  a  military  post.  The  village,  con- 
sisting of  100  houses,  was  taken  and  burned  by 
the  army  commanded  by  General  Riall,  Dec.  30, 
1813.  But  it  has  risen  like  a  phoenix  from  its 
ashes.  I  visited  it  in  August,  1815,  and  was  as- 
tonished to  find  it  rebuilt  in  so  short  a  time  after 
the  termination  of  the  war.  There  were  nearly  as 
many  houses  as  before  its  conflagration,  and  some  of 


60  SKETCHES   OF 

them  more  elegant  than  those  which  they  had  suc- 
ceeded. 

Black  Rock  also  was  a  military  station.  In  July, 
1813,  a  British  detachment,  commanded  by  Colo- 
nel Bishop,  made  a  descent  upon  it,  and  succeeded 
in  the  destroying  some  shipping1  and  stores;  but 
were  attacked  as  they  were  retiring",  and  their 
commander  mortally  wounded.  On  the  29th  of 
December,  1813,  a  respectable  force,  under  the  or- 
ders of  General  Drummond,  but  led  on  by  General 
Riall,  landed  at  Black  Rock,  and  after  skirmishing- 
a  while  with  the  militia,  took  the  battery  and 
burned  the  village  on  the  way  to  Buffalo.  August 
3,  1814,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Tucker,  with  a  thou- 
sand British  troops,  crossing  below  Squaw  island, 
effected  a  landing,  and  advanced  towards  Black 
Rock ;  but  was  met  and  repulsed  at  a  bridge,  by 
Major  Morgan,  with  300  riflemen. 

The  Niagara  river  is  interesting  to  the  statesman 
and  the  soldier,  as  well  as  the  geographer,  for  it  is 
the  frontier  between  one  of  the  most  populous 
districts  of  Upper  Canada,  and  the  most  populous 
of  the  United  States.  It  is  33  miles  in  length, 
from  the  north  eastern  extremity  of  lake  Erie  to 
its  entrance  into  Ontario.  Its  general  course  is 
northerly,  in  a  line  which  would  cross  lake  Ontario, 
between  20  and  30  miles  east  of  its  western  point. 
The  river,  as  it  issues  from  lake  Erie,  is  about  a 
mile  wide.  At  Black  Rock,  three  miles  below, 
it  is  three  quarters  of  a  mile.  Further  down  it 
widens,  to  embrace  Grand  isle,  with  Squaw  island 
at  its  head,  and  Navy  island  near  its  foot ;  below 


UPPER   CANADA.  61 

which,  a  little  above  Chippawa,  the  river  resembles 
a  bay,  more  than  two  miles  in  breadth.  Then  it 
narrows  down  the  rapids,  to  the  falls,  whence  it  is 
contracted  into  a  still  narrower  chasm,  as  far  as 
Queenston.  There  it  spreads  again,  to  the  width 
of  more  than  half  a  mile,  and  continues  so  to  lake 
Ontario. 

The  most  frequented  ferry  is  at  Black  Rock, 
where  the  passenger  views  this  mighty  mass  of 
water,  rushing  from  the  lake  with  majestic  sweep. 
The  prospect  is  truly  sublime.  The  current  is  seven 
miles  an  hour.  A  flat  bottomed  boat,  in  crossing, 
is  carried  down  nearly  half  a  mile.  There  is 
another  ferry  below  Navy  island,  and  another  at 
Queenston.  The  current  from  that  place  down  to 
Niagara,  is  at  the  average  velocity  of  about  three 
miles  and  a  half  an  hour,  so  that  a  vessel  will  float, 
without  wind,  from  Queenston  to  the  lake,  in  two 
hours.  On  each  side  of  the  channel  at  Queenston, 
there  is  an  eddy  or  counter-current.  A  boat  passing, 
over  is  pushed  upward,  till  it  comes  out  into  the 
channel,  then  swept  downward  until  it  reaches  the 
eddy  on  the  other  side,  when  it  is  borne  up  again, 
in  a  diagonal  line,  to  the  opposite  landing  place. 

Grand  isle  appears  to  be  east  of  the  middle  of 
the  river,  and  of  course  belongs  to  the  State 
of  New  York.  It  is  12  miles  long  and  from 
two  to  seven  broad.  Squaw  island  also  is  on  the 
New  York  side,  so  is  Strawberry  island.  The 
States  have  lately  purchased  these  three  islands 
from  the  Indians.  Nayy  island  is  cl  limed  by  both 
parties,  and  it  remains  for  the  commissioners  to 


62  SKETCHES   OF 

settle  the  claim.  The  main  channel,  I  think,  passes 
on  its  east  side  between  it  and  Grand  isle.  If  that 
should  be  adjudged  to  be  "  the  middle  of  the  river" 
in  the  sense  of  the  treaty,  this  island  will  be  found 
to  belong  to  Canada. 

Manchester,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river,  a  lit- 
tle south  of  Fort  Schlosser,  is  the  head  of  the  portage 
from  Lewistown*.  Here  goods  brought  by  land  round 
the  falls,  are  put  into  boats,  and  transported  up  to 
Black  rock  or  Buffalo.  Manchester  was  burnt  by 
the  British  troops  in  December,  1813.  Soon  after 
the  peace  it  was  rebuilt.  On  the  fourth  of  July, 
1813,  Fort  Schlosser  was  surprised  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Clark  of  the  Canadian  militia,  who  took 
and  brought  off  the  guard  stationed  there. 

On  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Niagara  is  the 
village  of  Chippawa,  situated  on  both  sides  of  the 
creek,  close  to  its  entrance  into  the  river.  The 
land  carriage  from  Queenston,  ends  at  this  place, 
and  goods  are  transported  hence  in  boats  to  Fort 
Erie.  Here  is  a  fort  and  barracks  for  troops.  In 
the  course  of  the  late  war  it  was  alternately  the 
place  of  encampment  of  both  armies.  The  plain 
south  of  the  creek  was  also  the  ground  of  a  cele- 
brated battle  fought  July  5,  1814,  between  Gene- 
ral Riall's  army  and  the  American  army  of  superior 
strength,  commanded  by  General  Brown,  who  was 
assisted  by  Generals  Scott,  Ripley,  and  Porter. 


*  Schlosser  is  the  head  of  the  portage  and  is  south  of  Manches- 
ter nearly  two  miles.  The  village  of  Manchester  is  immediately 
at  the  falls.— R.  G. 


UPPER   CANADA,  63 

The  attack  was  made  on  General  Scott's  brigade, 
which  was  principally  engaged  in  the  open  plain, 
and  he  signalized  himself  at  the  head  of  them. 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Pierson  commanded  the  British 
advance.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Gordon  and  the  Mar- 
quis of  Tweedale  were  wounded  at  the  head  of 
their  regiments.  The  action  was  short ;  the  Bri- 
tish line  being  checked  in  an  attempt  to  charge, 
retreated  and  were  closely  pursued,  but  gained  the 
bridge,  and  passing  over  the  creek,  took  a  position 
behind  the  entrenchments,  which  they  maintained, 
and  from  which  they  opened  a  fire  that  checked  the 
pursuit.  Without  attempting  to  cross  the  creek, 
General  Brown  returned  to  his  camp,  and  General 
Riall  moved  towards  Queenston,  whence  he  proceed- 
ed to  Fort  George,  and  thence  to  the  20  mile  creek 
on  the  route  towards  Burlington  heights,  to  pre- 
vent General  Brown  from  gaining  that  post. 

The  river,  or  as  it  is  sometimes  termed,  the  strait 
of  Niagara,  presents  to  the  senses  and  the  mind 
more  sublimities  and  interesting  scenes,  perhaps, 
than  any  other  water  or  tract  of  land  of  only  11 
leagues  of  extent.  But  the  most  prominent  of  all 
its  objects,  is  the  grand  fall,  the  sublimest  cataract 
in  the  known  world.  This  has  been  so  often  describ- 
ed, that  a  description  of  it  now  is  a  beaten  topic ; 
yet  it  seems  to  be  an  essential  article  in  Sketches  of 
Upper  Canada. 

It  is  situated  18  miles  below  lake  Erie,  and  15 
above  Ontario.  Two  miles  higher  up  the  Chippawa 
or  Welland  creek  falls  into  the  Niagara,  from  the 
west.  From  Fort  Erie  down  to  Chippawa  the  land 


64  SKETCHES   OF 

is  level,  and  the  road  is  nearly  straight,  running' 
along-  the  bank,  which  is  agreeably  but  not  loftily 
elevated  above  the  water.  The  view  is  delightful. 
The  Chippawa  having  passed  over  a  plain  of  40 
miles,  and  through  a  number  of  swamps  and  strata 
of  discolouring  earth,  is  a  sluggish,  dark  water, 
not  very  fit  for  culinary  uses,  or  even  for  washing, 
and  as  it  meets  the  clear  rapid  stream  of  the  Nia- 
gara, instead  of  intermixing  with  it,  it  pushes  along 
near  the  shore,  and  forms  a  very  visible  contrast. 
It  can  be  traced  all  the  way  down  to  the  falls. 
A  distant  murmuring  sound  is  heard  like  that  of 
waves  breaking  against  the  sea  shore.  Below 
Chippawa  the  current  begins  to  quicken,  and  soon 
becomes  too  rapid  to  be  entered  without  hazard. 
The  neighbouring  inhabitants  say  that  deer,  squir- 
rels and  other  animals,  attempting  to  swim  across 
are  carried  down.  Geese  and  ducks,  which  happen 
to  light  in  the  water  there,  are  unable  to  rise  upon 
the  wing  again ;  and  even  fishes  in  their  own  ele- 
ment are  hurried  down  to  destruction*.  The  bank 
appears  to  ascendf  by  the  increase  of  its  distance 
from  the  descending  surface  of  the  stream.  The 
velocity  is  accelerated,  and  the  noise  swells  upon  the 
ear.  The  river  bends  a  little  to  the  left,  rushing 

*  During  winter  gulls  are  seen  flying  constantly  over  the  ra- 
pids, and  occasionally  diving  down  to  the  water.  I  have  thought 
that  they  picked  up  fishes  fluttering  in  the  overpowering  stream. 
— R.G. 

•f-  It  does  ascend  considerably,  perhaps  50  or  60  feet  from 
Chippawa  to  the  height  above  the  falls.  The  river  descends  55 
feet  in  the  same  distance. — R.  G. 


UPPER    CANADA.  $$ 

down  among  rocks  and  precipices  covered  with 
foam,  dasb«ed  up  in  various  forms  and  colours.  Be- 
yond these  foaming  rapids,  at  the  distance  of  half 
;i  mile,  a  cloud  of  vapour  is  seen  to  rise  \  but  the 
river  disappears. 

A  mile  or  more  above  the  falls,  a  portion  of  the 
river,  consisting  principally  of  the  Chippawa  wa- 
ters, is  separated  from  the  main  channel  by  an 
island.  On  this  detached  branch  of  the  stream,  by 
the  side  of  the  rapids,  mills  are  erected,  known  by 
the  name  of  the  Bridgewater  mills,  and  a  little  fur- 
ther down  was  a  flour  mill,  called  Birch's  mill. 
From  the  island  upwards  there  was  a  line  of  float- 
ing timbers,  so  fixed  as  to  turn  into  the  mill  stream 
logs  coming  down  singly  from  the  Chippawa,  along 
the  left  bank.  It  was  afterwards  found  more  safe 
to  float  the  logs  down  in  small  rafts. 

These  mills  (Bridgewater)  were  burned  by  the 
American  troops  after  Lundy's  Lane  battle. 

Where  one  of  the  Bridgewater  mills  stood,  near 
the  place  of  the  flume,  there  is  a  burning  spring, 
known  before  the  mill  was  erected  and  now  open 
to  view.  It  emits  a  vapour  of  some  bituminous  or 
combustible  quality.  A  candle  applied  near  the 
water  excites  a  flame,  which  burns  for  some  minutes. 
The  blaze  is  clearly  perceptible  in  the  day  time, 
and  is  said  to  be  much  more  visible  in  the  night. 
It  is  also  said,  by  those  who  have  made  experiments 
more  leisurely  than  I  had  an  opportunity  of  wit- 
nessing, that  it  will  produce  such  a  degree  of  heat 
as  to  cause  water  placed  over  it,  in  a  suitable  vessel, 
to  steam  and  even  to  boil. 


66  SKETCHES    OF 

By  Birch's  mill  seat,  there  are  several  houses  on 
a  flat  low  meadow  between  the  water's  edge  and  the 
high  bank.  At  this  spot  you  have  a  romantic,  but 
too  close  a  view  of  the  rapids.  In  appearance  they 
are  thought  to  resemble  those  of  the  Longe  sault 
in  the  St.  Lawrence  near  Cornwall. 

Ascending  the  bank  again,  you  pass  along  the 
road,  which  as  you  come  against  the  falls  diverges 
to  the  left.  You  leave  it  and  turn  to  the  right. 
From  the  high  banks  you  have  various  but  partial 
and  imperfect  views  of  the  falls.  To  see  them  ad- 
vantageously it  is  necessary  to  go  down  a  muddy 
winding,  weedy  ravine,  to  the  Table  rock,  nearly 
100  feet  lower  than  the  upper  bank.  This  rocky 
platform  spreads  to  the  extent  of  a  quarter  of  an 
acre  or  more*.  It  projects  over  the  cavern  below 
the  cataract,  and  runs  up  to  the  side  of  the  preci- 
pice, which  you  can  approach  so  near  as  to  wash 
your  hands  in  the  water  a  few  feet  above  it.  It  is 
nearly  on  a  level  with  the  top  of  the  mass  of  water 
immediately  above  the  great  pitch.  It  is  supposed 
to  be  a  part  of  the  very  ledge  over  which  the  water 
is  precipitated,  but  which  is  worn  down  a  number 
of  feet  below  its  original  level. 

The  Table  rock  is  checkered  with  a  variety  of 
seams  and  fissures,  some  of  them  wide  enough  to 
admit  a  man's  hand.  Innumerable  names  and  ini- 
tials of  visitors  are  inscribed  on  it,  many  of  them 
with  the  dates  of  their  visits. 


*  A  large  piece  of  this  projecting  rock  gave  way  in  autumn, 
1818,  and  fell  into  the  river.— R.  G. 


UPPER   CANADA.  67 

By  a  plumb  line  let  down  over  its  edge,  it  has 
been  ascertained  to  be  172  feet  high.  It  requires 
some  fortitude  to  venture  to  the  margin  and  look 
down  into  the  abyss  beneath. 

The  Table  rock  has  been  esteemed  the  most  eligi- 
ble position  for  viewing  the  cataract.  In  some  re- 
spects it  is;  but  the  stupendous  object  is  too  near 
to  have  its  full  effect.  Besides,  it  is  not  sufficiently 
in  front.  The  still-house,  on  the  same  level,  but 
further  down  the  brink  of  the  river,  is  a  better 
station,  being  more  distant  and  less  lateral.  No 
description  or  drawing  can  give  an  adequate  idea 
of  this  wonder  of  nature. 

The  sheet  of  falling  water  is  divided  by  an  island 
called  Goat  island,  which  extends  from  the  preci- 
pice half  a  mile  upward,  and  has  a  sand  bar  extend- 
ing still  higher  up,  by  means  of  which,  in  seasons 
of  low  water,  the  island  is  approachable  from  the 
,east  shore*.  At  the  foot  of  this  island  are  several 
rocks,  lying  scattered  near  the  edge  of  the  water, 
as  if  they  had  been  broken  off  and  tumbled  down 
from  the  ledge. 

The  main  volume  of  water  is  west  of  the  island. 
The  ledge  is  there  worn,  by  the  force  of  the  stream, 
into  a  curve  resembling  the  shape  of  a  horse  shoe; 

*  This  description  is  apt  to  create  mistake.  The  island  is  ap- 
proachable by  a  boat  put  off  from  Schlosser,  and  managed  with 
great  care,  so  as  to  drop  down  on  the  upper  part  of  the  island. 
It  is  now  accessible  by  a  bridge  thrown  over  a  little  way  above 
the  American  fall.  At  no  season  does  the  water  sink  more  than 
two  feet.  Goat  island  contains  about  80  acres  of  good  land. — R.  G. 

F2 


68  SKETCHES    OF 

from  which  circumstance  it  has  acquired  the  name 
of  the  Horse  Shoe  fall.  The  toe  of  the  shoe  how- 
ever is  now  an  angle,  rather  than  a  curve,  but  th/e 
inhabitants  and  early  visitors  affirm,  that  it  was 
formerly  more  round,  and  has  gradually  assumed 
its  present  angular  form  within  their  recollection. 
The  ledge  of  this  fall  is  also  worn  so  deep,  that  the 
sheet  of  water  passing  over  it  is  supposed  to  be  at 
least  10  feet  thicker  than  on  the  other  fall. 

That  portion  of  the  cataract  which  lies  east  of  the 
island,  is  called  the  American  or  Fort  Schlosser  fall. 
The  last  name  is  derived  from  a  settlement  on  the 
eastern  shore,  which  though  never  much  fortified, 
has  long  been  known  as  Fort  Schlosser. 

The  eastern  limb  of  the  island  is  separated  into 
a  little  island,  by  a  small  channel  of  water  passing 
through  and  forming  a  distinct  spout.  This  narrow 
cascade  has  been  dignified  with  the  name  of  the 
Montmorency  fall,  in  allusion  to  the  celebrated  ca- 
taract of  that  name  just  below  Quebec. 

To  a  spectator  standing  on  the  Table  rock,  or  at 
the  still-house,  the  ledge  of  the  island,  and  of  the 
American  fall,  appears  nearly  in  a  continued  strait 
line.  But  I  observed  certain  stripes  which  looked 
like  ridges,  in  the  falling  mass  of  water,  distinguish- 
able by  different  lines  of  colours  running  from  the 
top  to  the  bottom.  Whence  I  concluded  that  the 
ledge  must  be  serrated ;  and  I  afterwards  found 
that  when  viewed  from  the  eastern  bank,  it  is 
clearly  seen  to  be  indented  and  somewhat  curved. 

The  width  of  the  river  at  the  falls,  including  the 
islands  and  following  the  curvatures  of  the  ledge, 


UPPER  CANADA.  69 

may  be  a  mile,  though  a  direct  line  across  would 
be  considerably  short  of  that  distance. 

The  eastern  fall  appears  to  the  eye  about  a  quar- 
ter as  wide  as  the  western ;  but  probably  does  not 
discharge  a  tenth  part  of  the  water. 

The  perpendicular  height  of  the  ledge  of  the 
Horse  Shoe  fall,  is  150  feet ;  that  of  the  Fort  Schlos- 
ser  fall  more  than  160.  "the  water  however  does 
not  fall  perpendicularly.  It  is  governed  by  the 
general  law  of  projectile  bodies,  and  descends  in  a 
parabolic  curve. 

The  chasm  below  the  falls  is  200  feet  deep,  and 
not  half  a  mile  wide :  and  further  down  it  becomes 
still  narrower. 

Viewed  from  any  station,  the  colour  of  the  falling 
water  varies  in  different  points  of  the  falls.  It  is 
white,  yellow,  brown,  blue,  and  green  of  various 
shades,  according  to  the  angles  of  vision. 

The  dashing,  whirling,  and  agitation  in  the 
gulf,  into  which  the  water  is  precipitated,  are 
indescribable.  The  foam  rises  in  various  and  per- 
petually varying  columns.  Near  the  western  border 
it  ascends  in  spherical  figures,  which  burst  and 
spread,  and  are  succeeded  by  new  spheres,  exhibit- 
ing variations  of  all  the  prismatic  colours.  The 
mist  rises  into  a  cloud,  which  moves  with  the  wind. 
The  spray  descends  like  a  misty  shower  of  rain. 
The  area  on  which  it  falls,  varies  according  to  the 
direction  of  the  wind.  In  the  winter  it  is  said  to 
be  congealed  on  the  trees  and  bushes,  so  as  to  exhi- 
bit a  beautiful  crystalline  appearance. 

When  the  sun  is  in  the  right  direction  there  is  a 
rainbow.  While  I  was  viewing  it  from  the  Table 


70  SKETCHES   OF 

rock,  the  sun  shone  brightly  just  above  the  western 
horizon.  The  interior  arch  of  the  bow  was  entire, 
though  a  section  of  it  near  the  northern  limit  was 
faint;  but  the  colours  even  there  were  discernible; 
and  from  the  summit  to  the  other  limit,  they  were 
brilliant.  Part  of  an  exterior  arch  also  was  visible. 
About  half  a  mile  below  the  falls,  you  may 
descend  beneath  the  cliff,  and  pass  up  to  the  very 
precipice.  The  descent  is  by  a  ladder  of  36  rounds 
and  45  feet  in  length.  It  formerly  was  by  the 
trunk  of  a  tree,  the  limbs  of  which  were  trimmed 
into  steps  on  each  side.  At  the  foot  of  the  ladder 
you  land,  on  a  sloping  pile  of  earth  and  broken 
stones,  which  appear  to  be  fragments  crumbled 
down  from  the  cliff,  and  scattered  along  towards 
the  water's  edg-e.  The  passagre  is  tedious.  In  some 

O  JT  O 

places  it  is  difficult,  and  attended  with  some  danger 
of  tumbling  or  sliding  down  to  the  water.  You 
can  make  your  way  along  the  strand,  or  higher  up 
near  the  cliff.  As  you  approach  the  fall,  you  pass 
under  the  Table  rock,  which  projects  40  or  50 
feet  beyond  its  base,  and  forms  a  rude  cavern. 
Water  drips  from  the  crevices.  It  is  possible  to 
proceed  beyond,  but  not  directly  behind  the  edge 
of  the  sheet  of  falling  water.  You  can  look  diagon- 
ally through  it,  and  downwards  into  the  abyss.  A 
wind  issues,  not  uniformly,  but  in  irregular  puffs  or 
blasts. 

A  traveller,  who  has  published  his  remarks,  ob- 
serves, that  a  stone  thrown  in  is  perceptibly  resisted 
by  the  air ;  I  made  the  experiment,  but  perceived 
no  such  resistance. 

Another  traveller  mentions  that  his  sight  was 


UPPER   CANADA.  71. 

affected,  almost  to  blindness.  The  only  effect  of 
that  nature  I  was  sensible  of,  was  a  sensation  of 
dizziness,  on  looking  steadily  for  some  time  upwards, 
or  in  a  diagonal  direction  through  the  falling 
stream.  The  shower  of  spray  wets  through  a  broad 
cloth  coat  in  a  few  minutes.  Upon  attempting  to 
converse  with  my  guide,  I  found  it  difficult  to  hear 
or  be  heard  amidst  the  stunning  noise.  It  is  im- 
possible, I  believe,  to  stand  there  without  some 
sense  of  danger.  The  scene  is  awful  and  sublime. 
The  novelty  of  the  situation,  the  spray,  the  foam, 
the  roar,  the  wind,  the  weight  of  the  rushing  tor- 
rent, the  concussion  of  the  waters,  the  gulf  beneath, 
the  impending  rocks,  the  tremulous  motion  of  the 
air,  and  the  real  or  imaginary  shaking  of  every 
thing  around  you; — all  these  overwhelm  the  senses 
and  the  imagination.  Their  combined  impression 
is  beyond  the  power  of  description. 

As  I  traced  my  steps  back  to  the  ladder,  I  turned 
and  stopped  to  survey  the  falls  from  several  points 
beneath  the  cliff.  The  prospect  of  the  descending 
water,  the  foam  or  the  mist  is  not  so  striking  here 
as  it  is  from  the  stations  on  the  first  bank. 

The  Table  rock,  and  the  other  rocks  which  form 
the  cliff,  appear  to  be  a  mixture  of  calcareous  and 
siliceous  particles.  There  are  some  distinct  streaks 
and  lumps  of  lime  stone  and  flint  stone,  united  in 
the  same  mass. 

Among  the  broken  stones  which  line  the  margin  of 
the  water,  there  are  concretions  of  a  whitish  earthy 
substance,  which  my  guide  represented  to  be  medi- 
cinal, and  which  is  vulgarly  supposed  to  be  produced 


72  SKETCHES    OF 

by  the  foam.  I  took  it  to  be  gypsum  formed  by 
the  operation  of  some  mineral  acid,  exuding1  from 
the  crevices,  and  passing-  over  lime  stone  rocks. 
But  I  did  not  preserve  any  specimen  for  experiment, 
and  do  not  know  that  it  has  been  analyzed*. 

I  observed  several  pieces  of  timber  which  appeared 
to  have  been  bruised  and  battered  in  the  rapids  and 
falls,  and  washed  up  in  that  state.  There  were 
also  bones  and  carcasses  of  animals  washed  up, 
apparently  at  different  times,  upon  the  strand. 

My  guide  assured  me  that  in  one  place,  not  far 
below  the  falls,  the  water  is  so  still  that  it  may  be 
passed  in  a  skiff  with  safety,  though  not  without 
some  difficulty  in  climbing  the  opposite  bankf. 

As  I  ascended  the  bank,  it  occurred  that  a  much 
more  easy  passage  to  the  cavern  might  be  formed, 
by  blasting  away  some  rocks  near  the  falls,  so  as  to 
admit  a  set  of  steps  in  the  common  form  of  stairs. 
The  expense  would  be  trifling  compared  with 
the  accommodation  of  visitors,  the  number  of  whom 
is  already  very  considerable,  and  annually  increasing. 
But,  perhaps,  the  intermixture  of  artificial  aids, 
might  render  the  scene  less  interesting  than  it  is  in 
its  present  state.  Every  thing  is  now  rude,  ro- 
mantic, sublime,  and  original.  To  gratify  taste 
any  obstacle  is  surmounted,  not  only  without  re- 
luctance but  with  ardour.  In  the  pursuit  6f  amuse- 

*  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  substance  spoken  of  is 
gypsum,  washed  from  a  natural  bed,  and  become  perforated  and 
irregular  in  its  form,  from  the  action  of  the  water. — R.  G. 

t  On  the  American  side,  there  is  now  erected  a  staircase,  and 
the  ferry  is  perfectly  safe.— R.  G. 


TJi»PER   CANADA.  73 

ment,  or  the  satisfaction  of  curiosity,  we  willingly 
encounter  fatigues  which  would  be  irksome,  if  not 
intolerable,  in  the  prosecution  of  ordinary  business. 

The  sound  of  the  great  Falls  is  audible  at  various 
distances,  according  to  the  state  of  the  air  and  the 
course  of  the  wind.  It  is  frequently  heard  at  Fort 
George  and  Niagara,  and  at  Fort  Erie.  I  heard  it 
distinctly  at  Buffalo,  a  distance  of  1 8  miles. 

The  view  of  the  falls  from  the  New  York  side, 
either  on  the  bank  or  under  the  cliff,  is  not  so  ad- 
vantageous as  on  the  Canada  side. 

From  the  Queenston  road,  three  quarters  of  a 
mile  north  of  the  falls,  a  road  called  Lundy's  lane, 
from  the  name  of  one  of  the  first  settlers,  diverges 
westward  and  passes  by  an  old  church  over  an 
eminence  of  ground.  On  and  near  this  road 
a  memorable  battle  was  fought,  July  25,  1814, 
between  the  British  and  American  armies.  It  is 
known  in  Canada  by  the  description  of  the  battle 
of  Lundy's  lane;  but  in  the  United  States  it  is 
described  as  the  battle  of  Bridge  water,  in  reference 
to  the  mills  at  the  rapids,  two  miles  distant,  or 
perhaps  from  an  erroneous  supposition  that  that  was 
the  name  of  the  township,  which  however  is  Stam- 
ford. It  might  with  greater  propriety  have  been 
styled  the  battle  of  Niagara  Falls.  The  action  began 
a  little  after  six  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  in  the  skirt 
of  a  thin  wood  south  east  of  the  church,  between 
the  British  troops  and  General  Scott's  American 
brigade.  The  former  were  posted  in  the  lane  by 
General  Drummond,  who,  with  a  reinforcement, 
met  General  Rial!  retreating.  The  latter  com- 


74  SKETCHES  OF 

menced  the  attack,  as  they  advanced  out  of  the 
wood.  After  a  steady  and  very  animated  fire  of 
more  than  an  hour,  in  full  day  light,  on  an  open 
field,  General  Scott  was  reinforced  by  General 
Brown,  who  thenceforward  commanded  in  person. 
About  nine  o'clock  Colonel  Scott  arrived,  with  a 
second  British  reinforcement.  The  sanguinary  con- 
flict was  maintained  with  persevering  obstinacy  and 
uncommon  efforts  of  heroism,  until  eleven  o'clock. 
Amidst  the  darkness  of  the  night  neither  army 
could  be  kept  in  a  regular  line,  but  separate  corps 
were  engaged  in  different  parts  of  the  field ;  some 
confusion  and  mistakes  occurred.  A  number  of 
charges  were  attempted  on  both  sides,  with  various 
success.  General  Scott's  brigade  made  two  in- 
effectual attempts.  Colonel  Miller,  at  the  head  of 
his  regiment,  charged  the  British  artillery,  which 
was  planted  on  the  eminence  by  the  church,  and 
carried  it.  The  British  line  made  three  vigorous 
but  unsuccessful  efforts  to  regain  their  artillery. 
The  carnage  was  dreadful.  Both  armies  were  now 
exhausted,  and  a  large  proportion  of  them  incapable 
of  further  exertion.  General  Riall  was  wounded 
and  taken  prisoner.  General  Drummond  received 
a  severe  wound,  but  kept  the  field.  Generals 
Brown  and  Scott  were  both  disabled  by  wounds ; 
and  the  command  on  that  side  devolved  on  General 
Ripley,  who,  in  pursuance  of  General  Brown's 
instructions,  collected  the  wounded  and  withdrew 
his  troops  to  their  camp.  He  was  not  able  however 
to  secure  the  captured  cannon;  but  left  them  in 
possession  of  the  British.  Captain  Glew  of  the 


UPPER  CANADA.  75 

41st,  with  two  companies,  having1  fallen  in  with 
and  dispersed  the  American  rear  guard,  and  taken 
possession  of  "the  artillery,  the  British  line  re- 
mained near  the  battle  ground  through  the  night. 
Both  parties  claimed  the  palm  of  victory. 

Next  morning,  General  Ripley,  with  the  rem- 
nant of  his  army,  advanced  again  from  his  camp  to 
the  bloody  scene,  where  he  found  his  enemy  drawn 
up  in  a  line  ready  to  receive  him.  He  did  not  think 
it  prudent  to  renew  the  action ;  and  returned  to 
Chippawa,  but  was  not  pursued.  He  continued 
his  march  to  Fort  Erie,  where  he  fortified  himself 
and  prepared  for  a  siege.  General  Gains,  a  senior 
officer,  joined  the  army,  and  the  operations  already 
related  ensued. 

About  three  miles  below  the  falls  there  is  a  stu- 
pendous vortex,  known  by  the  name  of  the  whirl- 
pool, formed  by  the  sudden  turn  of  the  river  round 
a  bluff.  The  water  is  agitated  to  such  a  degree, 
that  a  mist  arises,  which  can  be  seen  at  a  consider- 
able distance*.  Trees  and  sticks  of  timber  are 
whirled  round,  and  almost  erected  on  one  end,  then 
turned  and  plunged  again  into  the  foaming  eddy. 

The  chasm  or  bed  of  the  river  is  walled  by  steep 
irregular  cliffs,  nearly  or  quite  perpendicular,  and 
in  some  places  even  jutting  over.  It  extends  more 
than  seven  miles  northward  to  the  slope,  from  the 
upper  to  the  lower  country  ;  the  former  being  on  a 
level  with  the  banks  of  lake  Erie,  the  latter  with 

*  This  I  think  must  be  a  mistake.  Having  repeatedly  seen 
the  whirlpool,  I  never  perceived  a  mist.  Mr.  Heriot  speaks  of 
a  fall  here  50  feet  high,  which  is  quite  an  exaggeration.-— R.  G, 


76  SKETCHES   Otf 

those  of  Ontario.  On  the  brink  of  this  slope,  at 
Queenston  Heights,  the  traveller  has  a  prospect  less 
sublime,  but  more  beautiful  than  that  of  the  falls. 
In  front  to  the  north  is  the  Ontario,  expanding-  its 
shores  like  a  sea.  The  intervening  space  of  seven 
miles  has  the  appearance  of  a  long  meadow,  through 
which  the  Niagara  flows  with  a  lively  current, 
making  two  elbows  on  each  side  in  its  meandering 
course  to  the  lake.  In  a  valley  at  his  feet  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  river,  he  sees  the  village  of 
Queenston,  on  the  right  bank  the  village  of  Lewis- 
town.  The  river  appears  to  issue  from  a  cavern, 
the  mouth  and  sides  of  the  chasm  being  concealed 
from  the  view. 

This  most  extraordinary  chasm  has  many  strong 
indications  of  having  been  excavated  by  the  action 
of  the  water  pouring  down  the  precipice,  washing 
away  the  earth,  and  undermining  and  wearing  off 
the  rocks.  Probably  the  cataract  commenced  at 
this  spot,  being  formed  by  the  natural  slope  of  the 
country,  which  here  crosses  the  river.  By  the 
incessant  operation  of  ages,  it  has  progressed  up- 
wards to  its  present  site.  This  has  become  the 
prevailing  belief  of  the  inhabitants,  the  oldest  of 
whom  think  they  can  perceive  some  progress  in 
their  time.  The  ledge  they  are  confident  is  altered 
in  shape  and  situation.  Rocks  which  they  once 
used  to  see  there,  and  which  they  distinctly  recol- 
lect, have  disappeared ;  and  the  great  pitch  itself 
is  in  their  opinion  several  paces  further  south,  than 
it  was  when  they  first  saw  it. 

If  this  opinion  is  correct,  it  will  be  confirmed 


UPPER   CANADA.  77 

by  accurate  observations.  It  is  indeed  a  century 
and  a  half  since  the  cataract  of  Niagara  was  dis- 
covered, and  described  as  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
world.  But  early  travellers  were  not  exact  and 
careful  in  their  notes  of  the  state  of  the  falls.  It 
is  now  visited  by  Europeans  and  Americans,  by 
geographers  and  philosophers,  for  the  purposes  of 
science,  as  well  as  by  annual  parties  of  fashion, 
from  motives  of  curiosity  and  amusement.  The 
country  around  on  both  sides  is  settled,  and  the 
attention  of  the  inhabitants  and  visitants  is  pointed 
to  this  interesting  question.  Every  perceptible 
alteration  it  is  to  be  hoped  will  be  noticed  and 
recorded. 

The  ridge  which  forms  the  heights  of  Queenston, 
runs  westward  and  winds  round  the  head  of  the 
lake.  A  swell  of  it,  twelve  miles  west  of  the  river, 
is  called  the  Short  Hills,  where  a  spectator  can 
have  a  view  of  the  two  lakes  from  the  same  stand*. 
The  ridge  he  stands  on  is  an  irregular  off-set,  be- 
tween the  two  great  natural  parterres,  or  plains 
of  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario. 

Queenston  Heights  is  a  commanding  military 
station,  now  defended  by  entrenchments  and  bat- 
teries. In  the  early  period  of  the  late  war,  it  was 


*  The  swell  here  spoken  of  lies  south  of  the  slope  two  or 
three  miles,  and  is  called  the  Ridge.  It  is  an  insulated  hill,  dis- 
tinct from  the  mountain,  and  composed  of  different  materials.  It 
is  the  highest  ground  in  the  Province :  I  think  about  500  feet. 
The  Sfiort-hills  is  a  district  of  country  five  or  six  miles  square, 
containing  this  and  som$  pjther  sjnajl  frills.— JR.  Cr. 


78  SKETCHES    OF 

slightly  fortified.  On  the  13th  October,  1812, 
General  Rensselair,  commanding  the  United  States 
forces  on  their  Niagara  frontier,  formed  an  expedi- 
tion against  it.  In  the  morning  a  party  of  militia 
embarked  in  boats  at  Lewistown,  and,  in  the  face 
of  a  most  deadly  fire,  notwithstanding  the  embar- 
rassment of  the  eddies,  effected  a  landing.  The 
attack  was  led  by  Colonel  Solomon  Van  Rensselair, 
Adjutant  General  of  the  New  York  militia,  who  soon 
after  landing  was  severely  wounded;  yet  with  great 
presence  of  mind,  although  scarcely  able  to  stand, 
animated  his  officers  and  men  to  advance  and  storm 
the  battery  on  the  heights. 

Other  boats  followed  under  the  command  of 
General  Wads  worth,  of  the  New  York  militia ;  and 
they  succeeded  in  gaining  possession  of  the  village. 
General  Brock,  president  of  the  province,  and 
commander  of  the  forces  in  it,  arrived  in  haste  from 
Fort  George,  and  without  waiting  for  a  reinforce- 
ment, marching  rapidly  after  him,  put  himself  at 
the  head  of  two  companies,  and  gallantly  led  them 
up  the  hill  against  a  superior  force.  He  was  soon 
killed  with  a  musket  ball,  and  his  aid-de-camp, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  M'Donnel,  Attorney-General 
of  the  province,  mortally  wounded.  The  militia 
remaining  at  Lewistown,  not  being  obliged  by  law  to 
pass  the  limits  of  the  United  States,  could  not  be 
prevailed  upon  by  General  Van  Renssellair,  to 
cross  over  and  assist  in  securing  the  advantages 
already  obtained.  In  the  course  of  the  day  General 
Sheaffe  arrived  and  succeeded  to  the  command  left 
vacant  by  the  lamented  death  of  General  Brock. 
2 


UPPER   CANADA.  79 

Having-  collected  all  his  reinforcement  of  regulars, 
militia  and  Indians,  and  formed  them  on  a  field 
west  of  the  village,  he  made  so  judicious  and  spirit- 
ed an  attack  on  the  Americans,  that  they  capitulated 
and  surrendered,  to  the  number  of  386  regulars 
and  378  militia.  In  imitation  of  General  Brock's 
example  at  Detroit,  General  Sheaffe  retained  the 
regular  troops  as  prisoners,  but  dismissed  the  mili- 
tia on  parole. 

Four  miles  west  of  Queenston  is  the  village  of 
St.  David's,  which  was  for  some  time  the  head  quar- 
ters of  the  British  army  in  1813,  and  of  the 
American  army  in  1814.  A  number  of  buildings 
in  this  settlement  were  burned  by  the  Americans. 
The  officer  who  ordered  the  burning  was  dismissed 
from  the  service  by  General  Brown. 

The  village  of  Queenston  is  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  township  of  Niagara.  It  is  the  lower  landing 
for  the  portage  round  the  falls.  Amidst  the  sur- 
rounding desolations  of  war,  this  place  was  pre- 
served from  destruction,  and  is  now  in  a  flourishing 
state,  having  added  to  its  former  business  a  por- 
tion of  what  used  to  center  at  Niagara.  The  por- 
tage from  Queenston  to  Ghippawa  is  ten  miles ;  but 
the  receiving  and  forwarding  merchant,  generally 
transports  merchandise  the  whole  distance  up  to 
Fort  Erie,  part  of  the  way  in  waggons  and  the  rest 
in  boats. 

The  portage  on  the  New  York  side  is  from  Lewis- 
town  to  Schlosser,  between  which  places  a  canal 
has  been  proposed  to  be  formed.  The  distance  is 
said  to  be  rather  less  than  from  Queenston  to  Chip- 


80  SKETCHES  OF 

pawa.     After  the  burning-  of  Niagara,  Lewistown 

was  taken  and  burned,  December  18th,  1813.     It 

is  principally  rebuilt,  and  begins  to  flourish  again. 

Queenston  and  Lewistown  are  rivals  in  commerce. 

Both  of  them  have  good  river  harbours.     Indeed 

the  whole  river  for  seven  miles  down,  to  its  mouth, 

may  be  considered  one  continued  harbour.      The 

shore  is  bold,  requiring  only  a  short  wharfage  for 

vessels  to  load  and  unload.     Though  the  current  is 

swift  in  the  channel,  an  eddy  near  each  shore  aids 

vessels  and  boats  in  passing  up.    This  is  the  head  of 

navigation,  whence  vessels  sail  to  any  port  .on  the 

lake,  and  down  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Ogdensburgh 

and  Prescott. 

The  Niagara  in  general,  and  especially  the  port- 
age, appears  to  be  a  busy,  bustling  scene.  The 
connected  commerce  of  the  two  lakes  is  compressed 
into  a  narrow  compass,  in  this  intermediate  com- 
munication, which  is  thus  rendered  a  place  of  very 
considerable  activity.  Besides  the  labour  of  loading 
and  unloading,  the  carriage  of  goods  by  land  is 
not  only  attended  with  more  trouble,  but  exhibits 
an  appearance  of  more  commercial  property  and 
business,  than  the  transportation  of  the  same  mer- 
chandise by  water.1 

The  town,  as  well  as  township  of  Niagara,  was 
originally  named  Newark  ;  but  in  1 798  the  name 
was  changed  by  law.  Still  it  is  generally  but 
erroneously  described  by  its  old  name.  It  is  situ- 
ated on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  and  extends  up 
the  lake  shore  westerly,  the  whole  width  of  a  town- 
ship. The  angle  formed  by  the  river  and  lake  is 


UPPER   CANADA.  81 

denominated  Missassaga  Point,  and  sometimes  the 
Light  House  Point,  from  the  light  house  standing 
near  it.  The  fortification  erected  there  is  called 
Fort  Missassaga.  Fort  George  is  more  than  a  mile 
higher  up  the  river.  In  pursuance  of  the  treaty  of 
1794,  the  garrison  was  moved  over  from  the  old 
fort  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  and  stationed 
here,  and  the  works  were  strengthened  at  the 
commencement  of  hostilities.  On  the  27th  May, 
1813,  General  Dearborn  and  Commodore  Chauncey 
made  a  combined  attack  upon  this  important  fort. 
Their  troops  landed  on  the  lake  shore,  at  Two 
Mile  creek.  The  advance  was  led  by  Colonel 
Scott  and  Major  Forsyth.  The  landing  was  dis- 
puted by  the  British  troops,  under  General  Vin- 
cent, who  had  marched  out  of  the  fort  and  ad- 
vanced to  the  bank.  But  Commodore  Chauncey  had 
stationed  several  schooners,  in  such  positions  as  to 
silence  a  battery  situated  near  the  Two  Mile  creek, 
and  to  sweep  the  bank  with  canister  and  grape 
shot.  Thus  effectually  covered,  the  boats  safely 
reached  the  shore.  The  troops  landed,  and  mount- 
ing the  bank,  immediately  formed  and  pressed 
forward.  The  British  line,  already  thrown  into 
some  confusion,  by  the  raking  fire  from  the  ship- 
ping, gave  way  and  were  pursued.  In  the  mean 
time  the  batteries  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
together  with  some  of  the  ships,  playing  upon  Fort 
George,  rendered  it  untenable.  Instead  therefore 
of  entering  and  defending  it,  General  Vincent  re- 
treated into  the  rear  of  the  fort,  and  being  thus 
overpowered  and  driven  from  his  position,  by  a 

G 


82  SKETCHES    OP 

superior  force,  directed  his  retreat  towards  the  head 
of  the  lake,  to  concentrate  his  forces,  rally  the  mili- 
tia, and  wait  for  reinforcements.  The  harmonious 
arrangements  and  co-operation  of  General  Dear- 
born, and  Commodore  Chauncey,  on  this  occasion, 
as  well  as  at  York,  have  been  spoken  of  in  terms  of 
high  commendation.  Fort  George  remained  under 
the  flag  of  the  United  States,  through  the  cam- 
paign, though  invested  some  of  the  time  by  the 
British  troops,  under  General  De  Rottenburgh,  who 
took  a  position  extending  from  St.  David's  to  Four 
Mile  creek.  General  Vincent,  who  succeeded  him, 
retired  to  Burlington  upon  the  arrival  of  a  part  of 
General  Harrison's  army.  On  the  first  of  Decem- 
ber, General  Wilkinson  having  drawn  most  of  the 
American  forces  to  Sacket's  harbour,  to  join  in  his 
expedition  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  command  of 
Fort  George  devolved  on  General  M'Clure  of  the 
New  York  Militia,  who,  on  the  10th  of  that  month, 
abandoned  the  fort  and  set  fire  to  the  town  of  Nia- 
gara. This  barbarous  measure,  aggravated  by  the 
circumstances  of  the  season  of  the  year  and  the 
time  of  the  day,  he  endeavoured  to  justify  upon  the 
principle  of  preventing  his  enemy  from  using  the 
houses  as  barracks  for  their  garrison.  It  appeared 
however  that  his  orders  instructed  only  to  burn  the 
adjacent  houses,  if  it  should  be  necessary  for  the 
defence  of  the  fort.  The  Government  of  the  United 
States  disapproved  his  conduct,  and  declared  it 
unauthorized. 

The  village  thus  destroyed,  contained  two  churches, 
a  district  school,  and  nearly  100  dwelling  houses, 


tJPPER   CANADA.  83 

besides  offices,  stores,  and  shops.  Its  situation 
was  beautiful,  fronting*  the  river,  handsomely  ele- 
vated above  the  water,  and  commanding-  a  noble 
prospect.  The  streets  were  laid  out  at  rig-lit  an- 
gles. It  had  been  the  seat  of  the  Provincial  Go- 
vernment, and  was  the  place  of  the  courts  of  jus- 
tice for  Niagara  district.  The  court  house  and  gaol 
had  been  demolished  by  hot  shot  from  the  other 
shore,  on  the  day  of  the  battle  of  Queenston.  In 
August,  1815,  very  few  of  the  houses  were  rebuilt, 
though  considerable  preparations  were  made  for  re- 
building. 

This  wanton  destruction  of  Niagara  occasioned 
a  severe  retaliation  upon  all  the  villages  on  the  New 
York  side  of  the  line. 

Opposite  to  Missassaga  stands  the  old  Fort  Nia- 
gara. It  was  built  by  the  French,  in  1751,  and 
taken  from  them  by  Sir  William  Johnson  in  1759. 
At  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war,  it  was  pos- 
sessed by  the  British ;  and  though  by  the  terms  of 
the  treaty,  it  fell  to  the  United  States,  it  was  not 
delivered  into  their  possession  until  1795.  Soon 
after  General  M'Clure's  evacuation  of  Fort  George, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Murray  crossed  the  river  in  the 
night,  and  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  De- 
cember 19,  1813,  surprised  the  garrison  of  Nia- 
gara, and  took  the  fort  by  storm.  It  remained  in 
British  possession  through  the  remainder  of  the  war, 
and  at  the  peace  was  restored.  The  mouth  of  the 
Niagara  is  in  lat.  43°  15'  47"  north,  and  long.  78°  25' 
west.  The  point  on  the  right  bank  projects  farther 
into  the  lake,  than  Missassaga  point  on  the  left  bank* 

G2 


&f  SKETCHES   OS* 

There  are  two  bars  at  the  outlet  of  the  river.  Off 
the  inner  bar,  the  depth  of  water  is  18  feet;  on  the 
outer  24.  The  last  is  said  to  be  affected  and  varied 
by  the  winds  and  swells  of  the  lake. 

West  of  the  Niagara,  a  number  of  streams  enter 
the  lake  from  the  south.  They  are  denominated 
according-  to  their  reputed  distances;  the  Two 
Mile  creek,  the  Four,  the  Twelve,  the  Twenty,  the 
Forty  Mile  creek,  &c.  Near  the  one  last  mentioned, 
on  the  5th  of  June,  1813,  the  American  army  under 
General  Lewis,  halted  for  the  night  on  their  march 
towards  Burlington.  General  Vincent,  who  was  at 
a  small  distance  on  his  retreat,  being  informed  of 
their  situation,  surprised  them  before  morning  in 
their  camp ;  took  Generals  Winder  and  Chandler 
prisoners ;  and  though  not  able  to  make  a  regular 
stand  against  General  Lewis's  superior  force,  yet, 
by  thus  anticipating  his  attack,  compelled  him  to 
return  to  Fort  George,  without  accomplishing  the 
object  of  his  expedition.  General  Vincent's  dis- 
patch gave  Lieutenant-Colonel  Harvey  the  credit 
of  this  well-planned  and  well-executed  enterprise. 

The  Beaver  Dam  also  in  this  district  is  entitled 
to  historical  notice,  as  the  place  where  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Boersler,  with  a  battalion  of  General  Dear- 
born's army,  on  the  21st  of  June,  1813,  surrendered 
to  an  inferior  British  and  Indian  force.  After 
some  skirmishing,  Lieutenant  Fitz-Gibbon,  who 
commanded  the  small  party  of  regulars  and  Indians, 
bearing  a  flag  in  the  name  of  a  field  officer,  whom 
he  represented  to  be  at  hand  with  his  regiment,  and 
magnifying  the  strength  of  the  Indians,  demanded 


UPPER    CANADA.  85 

a  surrender  on  peril  of  Indian  severities,  in  case  of 
refusal.  By  this  negotiation  he  had  the  address  to 
detain  Colonel  Boersler,  until  the  Indians  passed 
round  into  his  rear,  and  spread  themselves  in  the 
woods,  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  exhibit  the  appear- 
ance of  a  very  formidable  number.  The  stratagem 
succeeded.  Colonel  Boersler,  supposing  himself 
surrounded  by  an  irresistible  force,  capitulated, 
but  had  the  mortification  to  find  he  had  been 
deceived. 

The  length  of  lake  Ontario  is  estimated  at  175 
miles,  in  a  direction  from  south  west  to  north  east, 
parallel,  but  not  coinciding  with  lake  Erie.  Its 
shape  is  elliptical.  Its  breadth  differs  at  different 
points.  From  York  to  Niagara  it  is  35  miles ;  from. 
Presque  isle  to  Gennessee  river,  60  miles;  from 
Ernest  Town  to  Oswego,  55  miles ;  and  from 
Kingston  to  Sacket's  harbour,  round  the  head  of 
Wolfe  island,  36  miles. 

The  water  is  of  such  depth,  that,  for  a  consider- 
able space  no  soundings  are  found.  Different  from 
the  water  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi,  which  is 
turbid,  that  of  the  great  lakes,  and  their  river  the 
St.  Lawrence,  is  limpid  and  pure,  except  when 
intermixed  with  particles  of  earth  from  the  shores, 
by  the  agitation  of  winds.  It  is  used  for  drink, 
and  also  for  washing,  though  it  is  not  so  soft  and 
suitable  for  the  solution  of  soap  as  rain  water. 

Near  the  shores  of  lake  Ontario,  for  a  few  days 
in  June,  the  surface  of  the  water  is  annually  covered 
with  a  yellowish  scum,  which  renders  it  unfit  for 
drinking  or  culinary  uses.  Of  this  phenomenon 


86  SKETCHES    OF 

various  causes  are  vulgarly  assigned ;  but  as  none 
of  them  appear  satisfactory,  I  merely  state  the  fact, 
without  pretending-  to  account  for  it  philosophi- 
cally. 

In  summer,  also,  the  lake  water  by  the  shores  is 
too  warm  to  be  agreeable  to  the  taste ;  but,  by  being 
placed  during  the  night  in  a  cellar,  it  acquires  a 
good  degree  of  coolness. 

The  river  St.  Lawrence  is  not  overspread  with 
nocturnal  fogs  as  the  Ohio  frequently  is;  nor  is 
there,  in  its  vicinity,  such  a  difference  between  the 
temperature  of  the  day  and  the  night. 

The  shore  of  the  lake  in  general  is  covered  with 
gravel,  consisting  principally  of  small,  thin  pieces 
of  limestone,  wont  round  and  smooth,  by  the 
friction  occasioned  by  the  motion  of  the  water. 
This  gravel  is  an  excellent  material  for  the  forma- 
tion of  roads.  It  is  not  harsh  like  the  pounded 
stones  of  which  Pennsylvania  turnpikes  are  made; 
and  when  consolidated  with  the  clayey  soil  which 
generally  abounds  along  the  fchore,  it  is  not  movable 
under  the  feet.  It  is  washed  up  in  ridges,  of  rods 
and  even  of  miles  in  length.  In  some  places  it 
lies  on  a  level,  until  the  interstices  are  filled  with 
the  finer  particles  washed  off  by  friction,  and  the 
whole  mass  is  cemented  and  concreted  into  hori- 
zontal strata  of  limestone ;  some  of  which  may  be 
seen  in  an  imperfect  state  of  concretion,  the  sur- 
face being  still  rough  with  adhering  gravel  stones. 
Others  contain  muscle  shells,  clearly  discernible, 
although  perfectly  enclosed,  and  other  substances, 
or  the  moulds  of  substances,  which  have  decayed 


UPPER    CANADA.  87 

and  left  their  cavities  to  be  filled  by  subsequent  and 
distinguishable  concretions  of  limestone  particles. 

The  river  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  north  easterly 
part  of  the  lake,  including*  Ernest  Town  sound, 
and  the  bay  of  Quinte,  on  the  Canada  shore,  and 
Chaumont  bay,  Sacket's  harbour,  Oswego,  &c.  on 
the  New  York  side,  are  generally  frozen  over  in  the 
winter.  Passengers  cross  with  horses  and  sleighs, 
from  Kingston  to  Gravelly  point.  The  channel, 
however,  on  the  south  side  of  Wolfe  island,  is  seldom 
frozen  over  very  strongly,  and  the  ice  lasts  there 
but  a  short  time,  so  as  to  be  passable.  Almost 
every  winter,  teams  and  persons  are  lost  in  at- 
tempting to  pass.  The  lake  is  never  closed  with 
ice,  except  at  the  east  end,  in  the  bays,  and  near 
the  shores.  Lake  Erie  is  frozen  still  less.  Huron 
and  Michigan,  especially  the  northern  parts  of 
them,  rather  more,  and  Superior  to  the  distance  in 
some  places  of  seventy  miles  from  its  shores. 

There  is  this  difference  between  lakes  Erie  and 
Ontario :  the  islands  of  the  former,  as  we  have 
already  noticed,  are  at  the  south  western  end; 
those  of  the  latter  at  the  north  eastern  end. 

At  the  head,  or  south  west  end  of  lake  On- 
tario, there  is  no  good  harbour.  Burlington  bay 
is  a  small  lake,  separated  from  the  main  lake,  by  a 
sandy  beach,  which  extends  five  miles  from  Saltfleet 
on  the  south,  to  Nelson  on  the  north,  with  a  small 
outlet  or  creek,  running  from  the  bay  across  the 
beach,  into  the  lake,  and  having  a  bridge  over  it. 
On  the  west  of  the  bay,  and  divided  from  it  by  a 
promontory,  stretching  from  south  to  north,  almost 


88  SKETCHES  OF 

across  the  bay,  is  a  marsh,  or  small  marshy  lake, 
named  Coot's  Paradise,  distinguished  as  a  place  of 
game.  The  beach,  the  bay,  the  promontory,  and 
marsh,  form  as  romantic  a  situation  perhaps  as  any 
in  America.  Adjoining  the  marsh  is  a  tract  of 
land,  reserved  by  government  for  the  site  of  a 
town.  Burlington  heights  were  fortified  and  gar- 
risoned during  the  late  war. 

The  land  road,  from  Niagara,  round  the  head  of 
the  lake  to  York,  is  about  ninety  miles,  crossing 
the  rivers  Credit,  Tobicocke,  Humber,  and  several 
smaller  streams,  all  of  them  generally,  and  the 
Credit  in  particular,  abounding  with  fish.  Burling- 
ton beach  is  half  way. 

Near  this  place  there  was  a  tavern  built,  at  the 
expense  of  the  crown.  In  the  early  period  of  the 
last  war,  it  occasionally  accommodated  troops  as 
they  passed.  But  in  May,  1813,  it  was  burned  by 
the  Americans. 

York,  which  is  the  seat  of  the  provincial  govern* 
ment,  is  in  lat.  43°  35'  north,  a  little  west  of  the 
meridian  of  Niagara.  It  is  beautifully  situated  on 
a  bay  or  harbour,  extending  nearly  two  miles  from 
the  west  to  the  east  side  of  the  town,  and  almost 
inclosed  by  a  peninsula,  which  projects  a  corres- 
ponding distance  from  east  to  west,  without  the 
basin  of  the  harbour.  The  western  extremity  of 
the  peninsula  is  Gibraltar  point,  where  are  public 
stores  and  block-houses.  On  the  highest  ground, 
near  the  point,  a  light-house  of  about  seventy  feet 
elevation  is  erected.  On  the  main  land,  opposite 
to  the  point,  is  the  garrison,  where  was  also  the 


UPPER   CANADA.  89 

lieutenant-governor's  residence.  Two  miles  east, 
near  the  head  of  the  harbour,  were  two  wings  of 
the  parliament  house,  the  main  edifice  not  being 
yet  erected.  They  were  built  of  brick,  one  story 
high.  The  legislative  council  sat  in  one  of  them, 
the  house  of  representatives  in  the  other.  Being 
burned  by  the  Americans,  their  walls  have  been 
repaired,  and  converted  into  barracks. 

The  town  occupies  the  intervening  space  between 
that  site  and  the  garrison.  The  harbour  in  front  is 
well  secured,  has  safe  anchorage,  and  is  sufficiently 
capacious  to  contain  a  considerable  fleet.  But  the 
shore  is  not  bold,  and  no  wharfs  are  yet  built,  except 
one,  which  is  an  appendage  of  the  new  naval  store- 
houses. Vessels  lie  off  at  anchor,  and  load  and 
unload  by  boats.  The  entrance  also  into  the  harbour 
is  somewhat  difficult ;  but  the  light-house  is  de- 
signed to  remedy  the  difficulty.  The  Don  empties 
its  waters  into  the  head  of  the  harbour,  east  of  the 
town;  and  two  miles  west  of  the  garrison  is  the 
mouth  of  the  Humber,  formerly  named  the  Toronto, 
a  name  which  was  applied  to  the  bay.  Both  of  these 
rivers  afford  convenient  mill  seats. 

The  war  w$s  unpropitious  to  York.  It*  was  twice 
taken  by  the  Americans.  First  by  General  Dearborn 
and  Commodore  Chauncey,  acting  in  concert,  April 
27,  1813.  Their  squadron  took  a  position  in  front 
of  the  harbour  and  the  garrison,  extending  in  a 
line  westward.  They  intended  to  land  their  troops 
on  an  open  field,  the  site  of  the  old  French  fort 
Toronto ;  but  the  wind  blowing  heavily  from  the 
east,  the  boats  fell  to  the  leeward.  A  detachment  of 
riflemen  led  by  Major  Forsyth,  followed  and  sup- 


90  SKETCHES   OP 

ported  by  a  larger  corps  of  infantry  under  General 
Pike,  amounting  in  all  to  1700,  landed  in  a  wood 
a  little  west  of  the  intended  landing  place,  and 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  garrison.  Their 
landing  was  warmly  contested  by  the  British  forces, 
under  the  immediate  command  of  General  Sheaffe; 
who,  after  an  action  of  half  an  hour,  was  driven 
from  the  wood,  and  compelled  to  retreat.  Two 
redoubts  were  carried;  and  General  Pike,  at  the 
head  of  his  brigade,  was  advancing  towards  the 
main  work,  when  the  explosion  of  a  magazine  ter- 
minated his  career,  and  killed  and  wounded  a  con- 
siderable number  of  his  men,  and  some  of  the  rear 
of  the  British  troops.  General  Sheaffe  having 
destroyed  a  part  of  the  military  and  naval  stores, 
and  a  ship  on  the  stocks,  moved  off  with  his  regular 
troops.  The  militia  then  capitulated,  and  were 
paroled.  One  armed  schooner  was  captured. 
Such  of  the  public  stores  as  could  not  be  put  on 
board  the  American  fleet,  were  destroyed  or  given 
to  the  inhabitants.  The  flour  and  other  provisions 
were,  by  General  Dearborn's  order,  distributed 
among  the  poor  people  of  the  town  and  garrison. 

A  party  of  American  sailors,  without  the  orders 
or  knowledge  of  their  commanders,  set  fire  to  the 
two  wings  of  the  parliament  house  and  consumed 
them,  with  the  adjoining  clerk's  offices  and  the 
library  and  papers  deposited  there,  under  a  pretence 
of  irritation,  on  account  of  a  scalp,  alleged  to  have 
been  found  suspended  as  a  trophy*.  Commodore 
. — __ = — — 

*  This  statement  that  the  burning  was  by  some  American 
sailors,  is  the  result  of  all  my  inquiries  on  the  subject,  though 


UPPER    CANADA.  91 

Chauncey  transmitted  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
*'  A  British  standard,  accompanied,"  as  he  stated  in 
his  dispatch,  "with  the  mace  over  which  hung  a 
human  scalp;  these  articles,"  he  added,  "weretakeri 
from  the  parliament  house,  by  one  of  my  officers, 
and  presented  to  me."  General  Dearborn  also 
made  a  similar  communication.  It  was  doubtless 
so  represented  to  them ;  and  they  believed  the  re- 
presentation, or  they  would  not  have  communicated 
it  to  their  government,  and  through  them  to  the 
nation.  But  according  to  the  statement  of  a  mem- 
ber of  the  House  of  Representatives,  who  was 
acquainted  with  the  circumstances,  they  were 
simply  these.  The  scalp  was  sent  as  a  curiosity, 
enclosed  in  a  letter  from  an  officer  of  the  army  to 
his  friend,  the  clerk  of  the  house.  Upon  opening 
the  letter,  he  and  two  or  three  others  who  happened 
to  be  present,  were  disgusted  at  the  sight,  and  he 
threw  the  letter  into  an  under  drawer  of  his  table, 
among  a  parcel  of  old  papers.  There  it  was  probably 
found  by  some  of  the  sailors,  who  imposed  upon  the 


Captain  Grafton,  who  commanded  the  American  guard,  in  his 
report  declares  that  "  upon  discovering  the  fire,  he  hastened  to 
the  place,  and  found  some  inhabitants  standing  near  it :  that  he 
asked  them  who  had  set  the  fire,  their  reply  was,  they  did  not 
know;  that  there  were  no  sailors  or  soldiers  to  be  seen;  and  he 
thought  it  as  probable  that  some  disaffected  inhabitants  had  done 
it,  as  that  any  of  the  American  soldiers  or  sailors  had  been  guilty 
of  disobeying  the  orders  of  their  commanders."  Notwithstanding 
his  opinion,  it  is  an  unquestionable  fact,  that  the  fire  was  set  by 
a  number  of  Americans,  supposed,  from  their  appearance,  to  be 
sailors,  unattended  by  any  officer. 


92  SKETCHES   OF 

officers  the  fiction  of  its  being-  suspended  over  the 
mace,  as  if  placed  there  by  public  authority. 

This  explanation  of  a  matter  not  very  important 
in  itself,  may,  it  is  hoped,  have  a  tendency  to  re- 
move some  of  the  effects  of  a  misapprehension,  which 
created  on  one  part  a  popular  prejudice  against  the 
government  of  this  province,  as  having  countenanced 
the  savage  practice  of  scalping,  and,  on  the  other, 
an  impression  that  the  American  officers  descended 
to  misrepresentation,  for  the  purpose  of  exciting 
such  prejudices. 

Neither  the  provincial  government  nor  the  com- 
manders of  the  forces  gave  any  bounty  for  scalps, 
or  any  encouragement  to  the  practice  of  taking*  them. 
The  British  officers  and  soldiers  universally  have  a 
strong  abhorrence  of  that  Indian  custom. 

General  Dearborn's  civil  treatment  of  the  public 
authorities  and  inhabitants  of  York,  was  politely 
acknowledged  on  their  part,  in  a  letter  from  Chief 
Justice  Scott  to  the  American  Adjutant  General, 
dated  York,  April  30, 1813,  in  which,  after  referring 
to  the  General's  orders  and  arrangements  for  re- 
straining his  soldiers,  protecting  the  persons  and 
property  of  the  inhabitants,  and  supporting  the 
magistrates,  he  says,  "  On  the  part  of  the  magis- 
trates of  York,  I  gratefully  acknowledge  the  humane 
attention  which  has  been  paid  by  his  Excellency  to 
the  present  situation  of  its  inhabitants,  by  pursuing 
a  line  of  conduct  so  conducive  to  the  protection  of 
a  number  of  individuals,  and  so  honourable  to 
himself." 

Such  mutual  civilities  accruing  amidst  the  con- 


UPPER    CANADA.  98 

flicts  of  arms,  are  worthy  of  notice  and  imitation, 
as  they  reflect  honour  on  both  parties,  and  ha  ^e  a 
tendency  to  mitigate  the  evils  of  war. 

In  the  last  of  August,  the  same  year,  York  was 
visited  again  by  Commodore  Chauncey  and  Colonel 
Scott,  who  landed  without  opposition,  took  a  num- 
ber of  cannon  and  boats,  and  a  quantity  of  provisions, 
shot,  shells,  and  other  stores,  and  burnt  the  barracks 
and  public  store-houses. 

Yonge  street  is  a  military  way,  laid  out  by  General 
Simcoe  when  he  was  Lieutenant-Governor,  and 
opened  by  the  troops  under  his  command,  in  a  di- 
rect line,  northerly,  from  York  thirty-two  miles 
to  Holland's  river,  whence  the  passage  is  easy  into 
lake  Simcoe,  and  thence  to  Gloucester  Bay,  a  good 
harbour  in  lake  Huron.  A  road  has  been  opened 
to  Penetanguishene,  where  a  settlement  has  been 
commenced. 

One  great  object  of  opening  Yonge  street,  was 
to  shorten  and  facilitate  the  communication  with 
the  north  west;  according  to  the  calculation  of  the 
late  Surveyor  General  Smith,  "  Merchandise  from 
Montreal  to  Michilimackinac,  may  be  sent  this  way 
at  ten  or  fifteen  pounds  less  expence  per  ton,  than 
by  the  route  of  Ottawa  river;"  and  it  has  been 
represented  to  be  equally  preferable  to  the  circuitous 
route  by  the  straits  of  Niagara  and  Detroit.  For, 
whether  the  goods  come  from  Montreal,  up  the  St. 
Lawrence  to  Kingston;  or  from  New  York,  up  the 
Hudson's  and  Mohawk  rivers,  and  by  the  usual 
passage  to  Oswego,  they  can  be  as  easily  forwarded 
from  either  of  those  lake  ports  to  York  as  to  Niagara. 

1 


94  SKETCHES    OF 

The  transportation  over  lake  Huron  to  Michili- 
mackinac,  or  to  St.  Joseph's,  is  as  practicable  from 
Gloucester  bay,  as  from  the  South  bay  communica- 
ting with  the  river  Sinclair;  and  the  distance  from 
York  to  Gloucester  is  less  by  four  or  five  hundred 
miles,  than  from  Niagara  to  the  south  bay  of  lake 
Huron.  The  land  carriage,  however,  by  the  Falls 
of  Niagara,  is  less  than  ten  miles;  whereas  from 
York  to  Gloucester,  it  is  more  than  thirty.  The 
question  of  preference  is  still  agitated  by  the  respec- 
tive partisans  of  these  different  routes,  and  seems 
not  yet  decided  by  satisfactory  experiment. 

Presque  isle  or  Newcastle  harbour  is  in  the  town- 
ship of  Cramahe,  more  than  half  way  from  York  to 
Kingston.  It  is  protected  from  winds,  and  almost 
encircled  by  a  peninsula,  which  projects  in  a  curve 
into  the  lake.  The  basin  of  water  thus  embayed 
is  of  sufficient  depth,  and  the  shore  is  convenient 
for  a  landing  place.  But  the  entrance  into  the 
harbour,  being  not  very  direct  and  plain,  requires 
considerable  care.  The  navigation  from  Presque 
isle  eastward  along  the  shore,  is  attended  with  some 
difficulty  and  danger,  by  reason  of  bays  and  points, 
and  the  winds  to  which  that  coast  is  peculiarly 
exposed. 

The  Bay  of  Quinte  *  enters  between  Fredericks- 
burgh  on  the  north,  and  Marysburgh  on  the  south, 
and  extends  westward  in  a  very  irregular  fprm, 
about  fifty  miles,  leaving  between  it  and  the  lake 
a  long  forked  peninsula,  called  Prince  Edward, 

*  Pronounced  Canty.        .  9  UWil 


UPPER   CANADA.  95 

containing*  four  townships.  From  the  head  of  the 
bay  there  is  a  carrying*  place  of  a  mile  and  a  half, 
over  the  isthmus  into  the  lake,  nine  miles  east  of 
Presque  isle.  Here  it  has  been  proposed,  at  some 
future  day,  to  cut  a  canal  to  connect  the  waters  of 
the  bay  and  the  lake;  and  a  tract  of  adjoining1  land 
was  reserved  for  the  purpose  of  aiding-  the  project. 
At  the  north  west  angle  of  the  bay,  it  receives 
through  the  river  Trent,  after  a  circuitous  route, 
the  waters  of  the  Rice  lake,  which  lies  40  miles 
west,  and  with  which  there  is  a  communication 
from  a  chain  of  lakes,  in  a  north  westerly  direction 
towards  lake  Simcoe.  At  the  mouth  of  this  river, 
in  the  township  of  Murray,  is  the  best  harbour  in 
the  bay.  Moira  river,  more  commonly  denomi- 
nated Mjers^s  creek,  enters  at  a  village  of  that  name, 
in  the  township  of  Thurlow.  At  the  north  east 
point  of  the  bay,  between  Fredericksburgh  and 
Richmond,  the  Ajapanee  river  falls  in  from  the  east. 
On  this  river,  amidst  a  flourishing-  little  village  in 
the  rear  of  Fredericksburgh,  are  valuable  mills, 
said  to  be  the  best  flour  mills  in  the  province. 
Their  value  is  enhanced  by  the  facility  with  which 
grain  is  conveyed  to  them,  and  the  flour  is  transport- 
ed to  market  by  water.  The  opening  which  receives 
the  Appanee  being  at  the  south  east  angle  of  the 
Mohawk  Indian  township,  is  known  by  the  name 
of  Mohawk  bay.  One  arm  of  the  main  bay,  named 
Hay  bay,  spreading  easterly  penetrates  through 
Adolphus  town  into  Fredericksburgh.  The  bay  of 
Quinte  has  a  considerable  expansion  of  water  south 
of  Thurlow,  but  is  generally  narrow,  and  throughout 


96  SKETCHES  OF 

its  whole  extent  of  50  miles,  is  navigable  for  any 
vessels  which  commonly  navigate  the  lake. 

The  peninsula  of  Prince  Edward  is  indented  with 
coves  and  points  of  land,  and  contains  two  small 
lakes,  distinguished  as  East  lake  and  West  lake. 
They  are  in  the  southern  part  of  the  peninsula,  and 
both  of  them  communicate  with  the  main  lake. 

East  of  the  bay  of  Quinte  is  the  harbour  of 
Ernest  Town,  in  lat.  44°  10'  north,  and  long.  75°  56' 
west*.  It  is  a  broad  open  bay,  of  good  depth,  a 
smooth  bottom,  and  safe  anchoring  ground.  The 
access  to  it  is  free  from  sand  bars  and  shoals.  The 
bank  of  the  shore  is  even  and  gravelly,  and  of  such 
a  descent,  that  a  wharf  of  from  fifty  to  a  hundred 
feet,  is  sufficient  for  vessels  to  lie  along  side  of  it 
in  safety.  One  such  wharf  has  been  some  time  in 
use ;  another  has  been  begun ;  and  there  are  con- 
venient sites  for  as  many  more  as  may  be  necessary 
to  accommodate  the  business  of  the  village.  The 
harbour  is  sheltered  by  considerable  projections  of 
land  on  each  side.  The  force  of  heavy  swells  also 
is  broken,  and  the  violence  of  winds  and  storms 

I  weakened,  by  Amherst  island,  once  known  as 
L'Isle  de  Tonti,  which  lies  in  front,  and  extends 
about  ten  miles,  forming  a  sound  of  corresponding 
length,  and  of  the  variable  breadth  of  two  or  three 
miles.  The  outlet  at  either  end  is  safe.  Vessels 
sailing  up  the  lake  from  Kingston,  may  pass  through 

*  This  is  the  latitude  of  Ernest  Town,  according  to  my  own 
observation ;  but  my  means  of  taking  it  were  not  very  perfect. 
In  general,  I  have  adopted  the  reputed  latitudes  and  longitudes 
of  places. 


UPPER   CANADA.  97 

this  sound,  or  keep  without  the  island.  Between 
the  east  end  and  Gage  island,  there  is  an  opening, 
commonly  described  as  the  Lower  Gap,  and  between 
the  west  end  and  the  peninsula  of  Prince  Edward, 
there  is  another  opening  of  two  or  three  miles, 
called  the  Upper  Gap,  which  is  in  front  of  the 
entrance  into  the  bay  of  Quinte.  The  sound  is 
usually  bridged  over  with  ice,  from  about  the  tenth 
of  January  to  the  latter  part  of  March. 

The  great  road  from  Kingston  to  York  divides  at 
Ernest  Town.  One  branch  passes  on  the  north  side 
of  the  bay,  crossing  the  Apanee  on  a  bridge  at  the 
mills,  and  the  Trent  by  a  ferry  near  its  mouth. 
The  other  continues  on  the  lake  shore,  passing  the 
bay,  by  a  ferry,  from  Adolphus  Town  over  to  the 
peninsula  of  Prince  Edward.  They  unite  a  little 
west  of  the  head  of  the  bay. 

Kingston  is  in  lat.  44°  12'  north,  and  long.  75°  41' 
west,  at  the  north  east  point  of  lake  Ontario,  and 
the  head  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  on  its  north  eastern 
shore,  opposite  to  Wolfe  island.  It  occupies  the 
site  of  old  Fort  Frontenac,  the  ruins  of  which  are 
still  to  be  seen,  as  are  also  the  remains  of  a  breast- 
work, thrown  up  by  the  English  under  Colonel 
Bradstreet.  The  harbour  is  on  the  east  side  of  the 
town,  and  is  formed  by  a  bay  stretching  up  nor- 
therly by  the  front  of  the  town,  and  meeting  the 
waters  of  a  river,  on  which,  a  few  miles  above,  the 
Kingston  mills  are  erected.  The  west  shore  of  the 
bay  is  bold  and  suitable  for  wharfs,  of  which  there 
are  already  as  many  as  ten,  where  vessels  of  any 
burthen  may  lie  in  safety,  and  load  and  unload 

H 


98  SKETCHES    OF 

with  convenience  and  ease.  East  of  the  bay  the 
land  projects  southward,  a  considerable  distance,  to 
a  point  called  Point  Frederick,  or  Navy  Point, 
beyond  which  is  Haldemand  Cove,  a  deep  basin  of 
water  sheltered  by  this  point,  on  the  west,  and 
Point  Henry  on  the  east,  and  guarded  against 
south  winds  by  Wolfe  island  in  front.  In  this  cove 
the  king's  shipping  lie,  and  on  its  western  margin 
are  the  royal  dock  yard,  wharf,  stores,  &c.  The 
entrance  into  the  cove  is  safe.  The  town  harbour 
has  shoals;  but  vessels  coming  in,  or  going  out, 
may  steer  either  to  the  right  or  left,  and  avoid 
them. 

In  November,  1812,  Commodore  Chauncey,  with 
his  small  squadron,  being  then  superior  to  the 
British,  chased  the  Royal  George  from  the  Ducks 
through  the  Upper  Gap,  and  the  sound  of  Ernest 
Town?  into  Kingston  harbour,  where  he  exchanged 
a  few  shots  with  the  batteries,  and  then  sailed  away 
for  Sacket's  harbour,  having  captured  two  schooners 
in  the  chase. 

At  the  commencement  of  hostilities,  Kingston 
had  a  small  garrison,  accommodated  with  barracks, 
but  no  fortification.  In  various  successive  stages  of 
the  war,  it  was  strengthened  with  much  labour, 
and  great  expense.  A  regular  fort  is  constructed 
at  Missassaga  Point ;  and  all  other  accessible  points 
are  secured  by  batteries.  The  town  is  surrounded 
with  a  line  of  block  houses,  and  picketed  in.  The 
old  market  is  converted  into  a  guard  house.  Ex- 
tensive barracks  are  added  to  those  heretofore 
erected.  The  works  at  Navy  Point  are  enlarged, 


UPPER   CANADA.  99 

with  the  addition  of  batteries,  magazines,  and  a 
dock  for  ship  building-  on  a  la^ge  scale.  But  the 
principal  fortress  is  at  Point  Henry,  which  com- 
mands the  town  and  harbour.  Snake  island,  si- 
tuated near  the  outlet  into  the  open  lake,  is  fortified, 
and  made  a  telegraphic  station,  to  communicate 
with  a  telegraph  at  Fort  Henry. 

Kingston  is  the  military  and  naval  head  quarters 
of  the  province ;  and  next  to  Quebec  and  Halifax, 
it  is  the  strongest  post  in  all  British  America.  As 
to  commercial  business,  it  is  the  third  town  in  the 
Canadas,  being  inferior  to  none  but  Quebec  and 
Montreal. 

From  its  situation,  it  is  the  natural  depot  of  those 
articles  of  commerce,  which  are  transported  over 
the  lake  in  vessels,  and  up  and  down  the  river  in 
boats.  Here  they  meet  and  deposit,  and  exchange 
their  cargoes. 

As  a  harbour,  certainly,  and  perhaps  in  other 
points  of  relation  to  navigation  and  commerce, 
Kingston  unites  more  advantages  than  any  other 
place,  on  either  the  Canada  or  New  York  side  of 
the  lake.  Of  the  former  we  have  already  taken  a 
cursory  view.  Let  us  now  look  to  the  south  shore. 

The  first  port  of  any  importance  east  of  Niagara, 
is  the  mouth  of  Genessee  river.  It  is  the  outlet  of 
a  fertile  and  flourishing  tract  of  country,  which 
will  have  much  surplus  produce  to  send  to  market; 
but  its  situation  will  not  accommodate  the  trade  of 
other  districts  surrounding  the  lake.  Once  or 
twice  in  the  last  war,  the  British  squadron  looked 
H  2 


100  SKETCHES    OF 

into  the  mouth  of  this  river,  and  took  thence  some 
coasting"  vessels,  boats,  and  stores. 

Pultneyville,  further  east,  is  subject  to  similar 
disadvantages  of  situation.  So  is  Sodus,  a  fine  ca- 
pacious basin  of  water,  embayed  by  a  ridge  running 
from  the  western  angle,  in  a  curve,  and  almost 
surrounding  the  bay.  The  shores  are  somewhat 
muddy ;  and  at  its  entrance  there  is  a  bar,  over 
which  there  is  not  sufficient  depth  of  water  for  the 
passage  of  large  vessels.  A  small  village  named 
Troopville,  but  more  commonly  called  Sodus,  is 
situated  on  the  peninsula,  or  ridge  of  land  which 
forms  the  harbour.  It  contained  about  thirty 
buildings,  among  which  were  four  large  dwelling- 
houses,  one  of  them  an  elegant  seat,  built  by  the 
agent  of  Sir  William  Pultney,  the  original  pro- 
prietor of  the  village,  and  four  or  five  warehouses. 
There  was  no  public  store.  One  of  the  inhabitants, 
however,  who  was  in  the  receiving  and  forwarding 
line  of  business,  occasionally  received  and  forwarded 
flour  and  other  articles  for  the  United  States,  on 
the  same  terms  as  for  private  customers. 

On  the  20th  June,  1813,  the  British  lake  fleet, 
under  Sir  James  L.  Yeo,  anchored  off  the  bar,  land- 
ed a  number  of  men,  and  took  a  few  barrels  of 
flour,  all  that  was  there.  The  inhabitants  generally 
retired  into  the  adjoining  woods;  but  as  the  boats 
were  leaving  the  wharf,  a  number  of  them  collected 
and  fired  upon  the  last  boat.  Several  men  were 
killed  and  wounded.  The  Commodore  ordered  the 
landing  party  to  return  and  set  fire  to  the  village, 
which  was  accordingly  done.  The  warehouses 


UPPER   CANADA.  101 

were  burnt,  and  all  the  dwelling  houses  of  much 
consequence,  except  a  tavern,  in  which  there  was  a 
wounded  man,  supposed  to  be  near  expiring-.  From 
motives  of  humanity  to  him,  that  house  was  spared. 
In  August,  1815,  I  observed  the  village  was  par- 
tially rebuilt. 

A  few  miles  further  east  still  is  Little  Sodm,  a 
harbour  similar  to  that  of  Sodus,  but  smaller. 

Oswego,  is  in  lat.  43°  20'  and  long.  75°  45'.  It 
is  about  180  miles  from  Albany,  at  the  end  of  a  long 
chain  of  inland  navigation,  with  only  14  miles  of 
land  carriage  from  New  York.  But  it  is  not  so 
advantageously  located  for  the  trade  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  the  great  natural  outlet  to  foreign  mar- 
kets, through  which  the  imports  also  as  well  as  the 
exports  of  this  lake  must  pass.  Yet  there  is  one 
heavy  article,  Oiandago  Salt,  with  which  Oswego 
supplies  Upper  Canada,  together  with  Michilimac- 
kinac,  Detroit,  and  the  northern  coast  of  Ohio, 
Pennsylvania,  and  those  parts  of  the  state  of  New 
York  adjacent  to  lakes  Erie  and  Ontario. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  river  there  is  a  bar  over 
which  large  or  heavily  loaded  vessels  cannot  pass. 

As  a  military  post,  Oswego  is  well  known  in  his- 
tory. It  was  a  British  fort,  built  at  an  early  period, 
with  a  view  to  the  command  of  the  lake.  In  1756, 
the  Marquis  de  Montcalm,  at  the  head  of  a  nu- 
merous French  army,  took  it  by  siege.  In  1760, 
General  Amherst  recovered  it.  During  the  Ameri- 
can revolutionary  war  an  unsuccessful  expedition 
was  undertaken  against  it ;  but  it  remained  under 
the  British  standard  until  the  peace.  By  the  treaty 
of  1783,  it  fell  within  the  United  States.  Still  it 


102  SKETCHES    OF 

was  retained  until  after  the  treaty  of  1794. 
When  it  came  into  the  possession  of  the  United 
States,  it  was  suffered  to  lie  unrepaired.  Even 
in  the  late  war  it  was  neglected.  The  village 
is  built  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and 
the  place  of  deposit  of  public  stores  was  at  the 
falls  12  miles  up  the  river.  This  last  circumstance 
accounts  for  the  neglect  of  Fort  Oswego.  In  1813, 
it  was  cannonaded  without  much  effect  by  a  British 
squadron  lying  without  the  bar.  This  cannonade 
was  distinctly  heard  at  Ernest  Town,  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  lake,  a  distance  of  55  miles. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1814,  a  considerable  force 
from  Kingston,  under  the  immediate  command  of 
General  Drummond,  on  board  Commodore  Yeo's 
squadron,  anchored  before  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
A  number  of  boats  proceeded  towards  the  shore, 
with  troops  to  ascertain  by  the  American  fire  the 
real  points  of  defence.  Those  botits  returned  to  the 
ships ;  and  the  whole  stood  off  for  better  anchorage. 
At  day-break  the  next  morning,  the  fleet  approach- 
ed again  ;  and  the  Wolf  taking  a  po  ition  directly 
in  the  front  of  the  fort  kept  up  a  heavy  fire,  under 
cover  of  which  the  troops  effected  a  landing.  They 
were  met  by  Colonel  Mitchell,  the  American  com- 
manding officer,  who,  considering  the  fort  to  be 
untenable,  marched  out  towards  the  shore  with  his 
corps  of  about  300  men.  The  action  lasted  half  an 
hour,  when  the  Americans  retreated  up  the  river 
towards  the  falls  without  re-entering  the  fort. 
General  Drummond  next  day  burnt  the  barracks, 
and  re-embarked  for  Kingston,  bringing  away  two 
cannon,  some  small  arms,  and  naval  stores.  But 


UPPER   CANADA.  103 

the  great  object  of  the  expedition,  the  capture  of 
the  principal  stores  for  the  American  fleet,  was  not 
effected. 

Hendersons  harbour  is  the  western  part  of  a 
bay  which  has  Stony  Point  on  the  west  and  north 
of  it.  It  is  a  safe  good  harbour,  capable  of  strong 
defence,  and  accommodates  the  country  round  it ; 
but  is  not  rightly  situated  for  the  general  commerce 
of  the  lake.  This  last  remark  is  applicable  to  se- 
veral small  rivers,  which  are  navigable  some  dis- 
tance for  boats.  One  of  them,  Sandy  Creek,  which 
enters  on  the  west  side  of  Stony  Point,  was  render- 
ed famous  in  the  late  war  by  an  expedition  under 
Captain  Popham  of  the  Royal  Navy,  who  with  one 
other  Post  Captain,  six  Lieutenants  and  about  180 
sailors  in  a  flotilla  of  four  gun  boats,  three  cutters, 
and  a  gig,  pursued  into  the  creek  some  boats  load- 
ed with  cannon  and  cables  on  their  way  from  Os- 
wego  to  Sacket's  harbour.  Being  decoyed  a  mile 
or  two  up  the  creek,  they  were  ambuscaded  and 
taken  prisoners,  with  a  loss  of  14  killed  and  28 
wounded,  by  a  party  of  riflemen  under  Major 
Apling  and  Captain  Woolsey  of  the  American  navy. 
This  loss,  though  not  great  in  numbers,  was  attended 
with  circumstances  which  were  felt  and  regretted 
by  Sir  James  Yeo,  who  was  then  blockading  Sacket's 
harbour.  He  raised  the  blockade,  and  soon  after 
returned  into  port,  leaving  the  American  squadron 
in  possession  of  the  lake,  from  July  to  October  1814. 

Sacket's  harbour,  a  few  miles  further  east,  is  the 
rival  of  Kingston  as  a  naval  port.  It  has  suffi- 
cient depth  of  water,  good  anchoring  ground,  and 


104  SKETCHES    OF 

a  bold  shore,  and  is  protected  from  the  winds  of  the 
lake  by  a  narrow  promontory  projecting  eastward, 
and  almost  enclosing  it.  The  peculiarity  of  its  en- 
trance is  favourable  to  a  defence  against  an  invading 
squadron.  The  village  is  placed  south  of  the  har- 
bour. In  addition  to  its  natural  strength  it  is  de- 
fended by  military  works.  Fort  Pike  overlooks 
the  bay  from  the  east.  Fort  Tompkins  stands  on  the 
west.  Batteries  extend  further  along  the  shores. 
Its  rear  is  guarded  by  Fort  Chauncey,  and  a  line  of 
block  houses  and  batteries.  It  is  the  main  station 
of  the  naval  force  of  the  United  States  on  the  lake, 
and  the  place  of  their  principal  ship  building. 

In  the  summer  of  1812,  Commodore  Earl,  with 
the  British  squadron,  sailed  over  to  Sacket's  har- 
bour to  destroy  the  brig  Oneida ;  but  finding  her 
hauled  into  the  inner  harbour,  and  some  of  her 
guns  planted  on  the  point,  returned  without  mak- 
ing the  contemplated  attempt. 

While  the  works  round  the  harbour  were  still  in 
an  imperfect  state,  it  was  attacked  by  Sir  George 
Prevost,  who  seizing  the  favourable  opportunity  of 
the  absence  of  General  Dearborn  with  his  army, 
and  Commodore  Chauncey  with  his  fleet,  on  their 
expedition  to  Niagara,  embarked  his  troops,  and 
sailed  from  Kingston  the  27th  of  May,  1813,  the 
very  day  of  the  capture  of  Fort  George.  By  ad- 
verse winds  and  other  circumstances  the  attack  was 
delayed  until  the  morning  of  the  29th,  when  under 
cover  of  the  ships  and  gun  boats,  about  a  thousand 
men  landed  on  a  peninsula  called  Horse  island,  a 
mile  west  of  the  harbour,  Their  landing  was  op- 


UPPER   CANADA.  105 

posed  by  500  militia,  who  were  ordered  by  Gene- 
ral Brown  to  lie  close,  and  reserve  their  fire  till  they 
could  be  sure  of  their  object.  But  being1  undisci- 
plined and  unused  to  action,  and  their  command- 
ing- officer,  Colonel  Mills,  being-  killed,  they  fled  in 
disorder.  The  British  column  advanced  through  a 
wood  towards  Fort  Tompkins,  where  they  were  met 
by  Colonel  Backus  at  the  head  of  400  regular  troops 
and  some  militia,  assembled  in  haste  from  the  neigh- 
bouring towns.  A  sharp  conflict  ensued.  Colonel 
Backus  was  mortally  wounded.  An  impression  was 
made  upon  his  line ;  and  though  his  regulars  still 
maintained  their  ground,  yet  before  General 
Brown  came  up  to  his  assistance  with  about  100 
whom  he  had  rallied  of  the  party,  dispersed  at  the 
landing-,  the  militia  attached  to  Colonel  Backus's 
command,  retreated  in  to  a  road  leading1  south  west- 
ward through  a  wood.  Their  marching-  off  in  that 
direction,  while,  the  reg-ular  troops  yet  stood  firm, 
had  the  appearance  of  a  rapid,  circuitous  movement 
to  gain  the  rear  of  the  British  line,  and  cut  off  their 
retreat.  It  was  also  understood  that  a  regiment 
of  American  troops  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Tutle, 
were  approaching  and  near  at  hand.  At  this  criti- 
cal moment  Captain  Gray,  who  led  the  British  ad* 
vanced  corps,  was  killed,  and  General  Prevost  gave 
the  signal  for  the  troops  to  retire,  when,  as  they 
believed,  they  were  just  on  the  point  of  carrying  * 
Fort  Tompkins.  Indeed  the  officer  who  had  the 
charge  of  Navy  Point,  supposing  the  fort  already 
lost,  agreeable  to  his  orders,  in  such  an  event,  put 
fire  to  a  naval  magazine,  in  which  most  of  the 


106  SKETCHES    OF 

stores  recently  captured  at  York  had  been  deposit- 
ed, and  were  now  consumed.  The  British  troops 
were  not  annoyed  in  their  retreat;  but  embarked 
without  molestation. 

General  Brown,  who  commanded  in  this  defence, 
was  then  a  militia  officer,  residing  at  Brownville, 
a  distance  of  eight  miles,  and  took  the  command 
on  the  occasion,  in  consequence  of  a  letter  from 
General  Dearborn  requesting  it,  seconded  by  the 
request  of  Colonel  Backus,  the  senior  officer  at  the 
harbour.  The  transactions  of  this  interesting  day 
brought  him  into  notice ;  and  soon  afterwards  he 
received  an  appointment  in  the  army. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  the  fortification  of  Sacket's 
harbour  was  far  inferior  to  that  of  Kingston. 

Notwithstanding  the  peculiar  advantages  of 
Sacket's  harbour  for  naval  defence,  its  local  cir- 
cumstances unfit  it  for  commanding  the  commerce 
of  the  lake. 

Basin  harbour,  in  Grenadier  island,  is  well  shel- 
tered from  storms,  and  is  a  good  stopping  place ; 
but  its  insular  situation  is  not  adapted  to  commerce. 

Cape  Vincent,  or  Gravelly  Point,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  southern  outlet  of  the  lake,  though  very 
advantageously  situated  in  some  respects,  is  too 
much  exposed  to  the  rake  of  the  winds,  to  admit 
of  a  commercial  competition  with  Kingston,  which 
possesses  a  corresponding  relation  to  the  northern 
channel  of  the  river.  Gravelly  Point  had  its  share 
of  the  devastations  of  war.  The  stores  and  some 
other  buildings  there  were  burnt. 

Vessels  and  boats  from  any  of  the  ports  on  the 


UPPER    CANADA.  107 

south  shore,  naturally  pass  down  the  river  by  Gra- 
velly Point,  in  the  channel  south  of  Wolfe  island. 
They  cannot  touch  at  Kingston,  and  take  the  chan- 
nel on  the  north  side  of  that  island,  without  a  con- 
siderable deviation  from  a  direct  coarse.  But 
Kingston  is  the  route  from  all  the  places  on  the 
north  shore. 

The  commerce  of  the  lake,  after  all,  will  not  cen- 
tre at  any  one  point,  but  continue  to  be  divided 
among-  a  number. 

The  navigation  of  Ontario  is  more  important  than 
that  of  any  other  of  the  lakes,  as  it  is  the  medium 
of  more  extensive  and  vital  communication.  It 
was  found  to  be  so  in  the  operations  of  the  late  war. 
Larger  sums  were  accordingly  expended  in  pro- 
viding means  for  its  defence.  The  question  of 
superiority  on  lake  Erie  was  settled  by  one  decisive 
action,  as  stated  in  the  description  of  that  lake. 
A  similar  decision  took  place  on  lake  Champlain. 
But  here,  season  after  season  was  consumed  in 
progressive  preparations.  With  the  exception  of 
two  or  three  partial  encounters  and  running  fights, 
the  war  on  this  lake  seemed  to  be  a  ship-building 
competition.  When  the  British  squadron  were 
superior  in  strength,  they  sailed  the  lake  without 
interruption ;  and  the  Americans  kept  their  har- 
bour, till,  by  the  addition  of  new  ships,  they 
attained  the  superiority.  Then  they  came  out,  and 
the  British,  in  their  turn,  retired  into  port  to  wait 
for  the  building  of  more  ships.  In  this  course  of 
proceeding,  Kingston  and  Sacket's  harbour  were 
alternately  blockaded.  The  rival  Commodores  feel- 
ing a  weight  of  responsibility,  acted  with  consum- 


108   *\  SKETCHES   OF 

mate  caution  and  address,  being  equally  determined 
to  be  sure  of  not  risking1  an  action  with  an  inferior 
force,  or  under  disadvantageous  circumstances. 
Prudence  is  frequently  more  useful  than  enterprise ; 
but  it  is  not  so  popular  a  feature  in  a  naval  or 
military  character.  Some  people  on  each  side 
became  impatient,  and  rather  dissatisfied  with  these 
national  competitors  for  the  command  of  the  lake. 
Before  either  of  them  could  seize  a  favourable  op- 
portunity of  attacking  the  other  to  advantage, 
peace  arrived,  and  found  them  both  still  engaged 
in  preparatory  exertions,  each  having  two  large 
ships  then  on  the  stocks.  Previous  to  the  war,  the 
merchant  vessels  were  about  equally  divided ;  but 
at  the  conclusion  of  it,  the  major  part  of  them  were 
in  the  American  ports.  A  number  have,  by  pur- 
chase, been  since  transferred  to  Canada. 

The  balance  of  naval  force  is  in  favour  of  the 
British.  The  two  ships  on  the  stocks  at  Kingston, 
it  is  said,  are  to  be  launched  and  finished.  Those 
on  the  stocks  at  Sacket's  harbour,  are  housed  in 
their  unfinished  state.  One  of  them  is  represented 
to  be  larger  than  any  ship  in  the  British  navy,  being 
210  feet  in  length  on  her  lower  gun  deck.  That 
the  largest  ships  in  the  world  should  thus  be  built 
on  this  interior  lake  of  fresh  water,  at  such  a  dis- 
tance from  the  ocean,  is  an  astonishing  spectacle. 
If  peace  should  continue  ten  years  they  will  all  be 
unfit  for  service. 

Navigation  by  the  force  of  steam,  which  has 
proved  so  useful  on  the  rivers,  is  about  to  be  at- 
tempted on  this  lake.  A  large  steam  boat  of  150 
feet  keel,  and  of  course  about  170  feet  deck,  is 


UPPER   CANADA.  109 

building  at  the  village  of  Ernest  Town,  but  prin- 
cipally owned  at  Kingston.  It  is  intended  for 
transportation  as  well  as  for  passengers ;  and  if  the 
experiment  should  succeed  on  the  rough  water  of  the 
open  lake,  this  boat  will  navigate  the  whole  extent  of 
the  lake  and  river  between  Queenston  and  Prescott. 

A  steam  boat,  on  a  smaller  scale  and  at  less  ex- 
pence,  is  on  the  stocks  at  Sacket's  harbour. 

There  is  one  also  about  to  be  built  on  lake  Erie. 
On  lake  Champlain,  a  steam  boat  has  been  some 
time  in  operation,  and  forms  part  of  the  line  of  pas- 
sage from  Albany  to  Montreal. 

As  the  St.  Lawrence  issues  from  the  lake  it  is  12 
miles  wide,  and  is  divided  into  two  channels  by 
Wolfe  island,  formerly  styled  Grand  or  Long  isle. 
The  south  channel  has  been  esteemed  the  deepest 
and  best,  although  the  north  is  the  widest.  From 
the  town  over  to  the  island  the  ferry  is  three  miles 
and  a  half;  across  the  island,  seven  miles ;  and  one 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  island  to  Gravelly  Point. 
This  is  in  the  route  from  Kingston  by  Brownville 
to  Albany,  in  the  state  of  New  York,  a  distance  of 
220  miles. 

There  are  several  islands  above  and  below.  The 
Ducks,  so  called  from  their  distant  appearance  in 
the  water,  lie  a  few  miles  west  of  Wolfe  island,  and 
about  15  miles  south  X)f  Amherst  island.  As  you 
ascend  the  river  you  pass  many  other  small  islands, 
one  cluster  of  which  has  the  appellation  of  the 
Thousand  islands. 

The  river  is  navigable  for  schooners  about  70  miles; 
but  their  passage  up  is  difficult,  not  so  much  because 


110  SKETCHES    OF 

of  the  current  or  any  particular  obstruction  in  the 
channel,  as  the  state  of  the  winds,  which  blow  two 
thirds  of  the  summer  season  down  stream ;  and  the 
channel  is  too  narrow  to  allow  much  scope  for  the 
process  of  beating. 

Attempts,  nevertheless,  are  in  operation,  to  establish 
depots  above  the  upper  rapids,  at  Ogdensburgh  on 
the  right  bank,  and  Johnstown  and  Prescott  on  the 
left  bank,  with  a  view  to  make  those  places,  instead 
of  Kingston, the  head  of  the  Montreal  Boat  navigation. 
Of  the  practicability  and  eventual  success  of  these 
experiments  various  opinions  are  formed,  according 
to  the  different  interests  and  views  of  those  who 
reason  on  the  subject.  The  application  of  the  prin- 
ciple of  steam,  to  the  navigation  of  the  river  and  the 
lake,  may  operate  essentially  in  favour  of  the  lower 
ports. 

From  both  shores  of  the  lake,  large  quantities  of 
lumber,  consisting  chiefly  of  oak  and  pine  timber 
and  staves,  are  annually  carried  down  on  rafts  to 
Montreal  and  Quebec.  For  a  year  or  two  the 
market  was  overstocked,  and  of  course  losses  and 
embarrassments  were  incurred,  and  the  business 
received  a  temporary  check.  It  is  at  all  times  a 
business  of  considerable  hazard. 

The  Gananoqui  river  is  supplied  from  a  lake  of 
that  name,  and  another  small  lake  further  north, 
and  discharges  its  waters  into  the  St.  Lawrence  in 
Leeds,  the  second  township  below  Kingston.  At 
its  mouth  there  is  an  excellent  harbour,  the  channel 
being  from  12  to  15  feet  deep,  and  the  current  very 
slow.  Above  the  rapids  it  is  navigated  by  boats. 


UPPER   CANADA.  Ill 

Its  waters  accommodate  some  valuable  mills,  and  a 
furnace  for  the  manufacture  of  iron. 

Early  in  the  war  with  the  United  States,  Ganano- 
qui  was  visited  by  a  party  of  volunteers  from  the  other 
shore,  under  the  order  of  Captain  Forsyth,  who 
routed  the  guard,  took  a  number  of  prisoners  and 
arms,  and  burnt  the  barracks  and  public  stores. 

Grenadier  island  lies  before  the  township  of 
Yonge,  and  leaves  a  channel  so  narrow  that  it  is 
from  that  circumstance  called  the  Narrows. 

Above  Johnstown,  on  the  New  York  shore,  is  the 
village  of  Ogdensburgh,  where  Fort  Osweigatchie 
stood,  on  a  river  of  the  same  name.  The  original 
proprietors,  and  some  of  the  settlers,  being  men  of 
capital  and  enterprise,  commenced  this  village  on 
a  regular  plan,  and  introduced  an  elegant  style  of 
building.  It  had  a  rapid  extension  of  settlement 
and  business,  exhibits  a  beautiful  appearance,  and 
is  still  progressing  with  a  fair  prospect  of  com- 
mercial prosperity,  notwithstanding  the  interruption 
of  the  war. 

After  the  commencement  of  hostilities,  it  was 
slightly  fortified,  and  became  a  station  for  a  small 
military  force.  In  the  autumn  of  the  first  year  of 
the  war,  Colonel  Lethbridge,  who  commanded  at 
Prescott,  attempted  to  take  it.  His  troops,  in  about 
twenty  boats,  supported  by  two  gun-boats,  moved 
up  the  river  three  quarters  of  a  mile,  then  tacked 
and  stood  over  towards  Ogdensburgh.  As  soon  as 
they  changed  their  course,  the  batteries  at  Prescott 
commenced  firing  across,  to  cover  their  landing. 
When  they  reached  the  middle  of  the  river,  General 

1 


112  SKETCHES    OF 

Brown,  who  had  hitherto  reserved  his  fire,  opened 
his  battery  upon  them  with  very  considerable 
effect.  Two  or  three  of  the  boats  were  shattered, 
and  they  all  returned  to  Prescott.  This  was  the 
first  step  of  that  military  career  in  which  success 
so  uniformly  attended  General  Brown  through  the 
war. 

In  the  following  winter,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
M'Donnell  having  then  the  command  at  Prescott, 
planned  and  executed  another  attack.  For  several 
days  he  had  exercised  his  troops  on  the  ice  near 
the  shore,  and  again  paraded  them  there,  apparently 
for  the  same  purpose,  but  prepared  for  an  assault. 
His  progress  towards  Ogdensburgh  was  not  noticed 
there  until  he  was  marching  on  a  quick  step  and 
pushing  for  the  shore.  Captain  Forsyth,  the  com- 
manding officer,  then  rallied  his  men,  formed  them 
in  haste,  and  attempted  a  defence  ;  but  being  un- 
prepared and  inferior  in  strength,  he  was  driven 
from  his  position,  and  forced  to  retreat.  Colonel 
M'Donneli  took  possession  of  the  village,  and  brought 
over  to  Prescott  the  cannon  and  stores  found  in  it. 
Ogdensburgh  was  not  occupied  as  a  military  sta- 
tion any  more  during  the  war. 

The  success  which  has  attended  the  commercial 
establishment  at  this  stage  of  the  river,  on  the 
New  York  side,  seems  to  have  kindled  a  spark  of 
ambition  on  the  opposite  shore.  A  settlement 
was  begun  before  the  late  war,  at  a  point  in  the 
township  of  Augusta,  named  Prescott,  advantage- 
ously situated  for  the  purpose ;  and  although  it  is 
yet  in  its  infancy,  considerable  arrangements  are 

2 


UPPER   CANADA.  113 

said  to  be  formed  for  establishing  and  supporting 
it  as  a  stand  for  the  forwarding  business  of  the 
Canadian  side  of  the  lake  and  river.  In  the  pro- 
gress of  the  war  Prescott  was  fortified.  The  forti- 
fication is  honoured  with  the  name  of  Fort  Wel- 
lington. It  has  a  garrison  of  regular  troops,  and 
is  an  important  military  post,  commanding  the 
river  and  the  opposite  town  of  Ogdensburgh. 

The  uppermost  rapid  in  the  St.  Lawrence  is  just 
below  Johnstown.  From  thence  to  Montreal  the 
river  is  navigable  only  for  boats,  rafts,  &c. 

A  more  difficult  rapid  is  the  LongeSault  (longus 
saltus),  in  front  of  the  township  of  Osnaburg 
above  Cornwall.  The  channel  is  here  divided  by 
several  islands,  and  the  water  runs  with  great  velo- 
city, especially  at  the  foot,  where  there  is  a  sudden 
descent  or  leap  of  the  water,  from  which  the 
name  is  derived.  In  going  up,  boats  keep  the 
north  shore,  and  are  towed  along ;  but  in  descend- 
ing they  universally  pass  south  of  the  islands,  that 
being  the  widest,  deepest,  and  safest  passage.  The 
Longe  Sault  is  about  nine  miles  in  length.  Boats 
are  said  to  pass  down  that  distance  in  20  minutes, 
that  is,  at  the  rate  of  27  miles  an  hour :  the  current 
itself,  however,  is  not  so  rapid.  The  boatmen  are 
obliged  to  add  to  its  velocity  by  rowing  to  steer 
the  boat. 

The  rapids  below  the  line  of  Upper  Canada,  at 
the  Cedars  and  La  Chine,  as  you  approach  Mont- 
real, are  not  less  dangerous.  But  with  good 
pilotage,  boats  and  rafts  pass  them  in  safety, 

i 


114  SKETCHES    OF 

The  Ottawa,  or  Grand  river,  which  divides  the 
provinces  of  Upper  and  Lower  Canada  for  several 
hundred  miles,  forming  in  its  course  various  lakes, 
islands,  rapids,  and  fails,  opens  into  the  St.  Law- 
rence, through  a  bay  called  the  Lake  ot  the  Two 
Mountains,  18  miles  long  and  three  broad,  above 
the  south  west  point  of  the  island  of  Montreal. 
While  the  communication  by  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  lakes  Ontario  and  Erie  was  intercepted  by  the 
late  war,  the  Ottawa  was  the  channel  through 
which  military  supplies  were  forwarded  to  the 
shipping  and  posts  on  lake  Michigan. 

The  height  of  the  water  in  the  river  and  lakes 
varies  according  to  the  season,  being  sensibly,  al- 
though not  immediately,  affected  by  the  quantity 
of  rain  and  snow  falling  on  the  region,  from  whence 
the  streams  flow  into  the  lakes.  In  ordinary 
years  the  water  continues  to  rise  in  lake  Ontario 
until  about  the  20th  of  June.  The  consequence 
is,  that  the  St.  Lawrence  is  not,  like  the  Ohio, 
Mississippi,  and  some  other  navigable  rivers,  sub- 
ject to  sudden  variations,  which  affect  the  naviga- 
tion, and  require  boats  to  hasten  or  postpone  their 
passage,  without  regard  to  their  preparation,  con- 
venience, or  previous  calculation. 

Independent  of  the  occasional  and  annual  varia- 
tions, there  appears  to  be  a  general  decrease  of 
the  lake  waters.  It  is  ascertained  by  permanent 
land  marks,  that  the  surface  of  lake  Ontario  is  now 
(1811)  four  feet  lower  than  it  was  20  years  ago. 
Whether  this  gradual  subsiding  of  the  waters  is 


UPPER    CANADA.  116 

caused  by  the  wearing  away  of  the  channel  of  the 
outlet,  or  whatever  maybe  its  cause,  the  fact  is 
certain,  and  ought  to  be  noted*. 

It  was  once  supposed,  that  the  lakes  v/ere  sub- 
ject to  a  septennial  rising  and  falling  of  water; 
but  the  supposition  was  not  well  founded. 

There  is  something  like  irregular  tides  in  the 
lakes.  They  are  most  perceptible  in  the  bays  and 
inlets,  and  are  accounted  for  on  the  principle  of 
the  breeze,  which,  under  the  influence  of  the  sun's 
rays,  blows  from  the  water  upon  the  land  in  the 
daytime,  and  in  the  night  subsides,  and  yields  to  a 
counter  breeze  from  the  land  to  the  water.  These 
shifting  breezes  are  similar  to  those  on  the  sea- 
shore. They  operate  upon  the  water,  which  is  thus 
impelled  to  and  from  the  land.  The  effect  is 
what  is  called  the  lake  tides.  In  the  bay  of 
Quinte  the  ebbing  and  flowing  are  very  consi- 
derable, but  various,  in  consequence  of  the  swells 
produced  by  different  winds  on  the  open  lake.  At  the 
mouth  of  the  Appanee  river  they  frequently  make 
a  difference  of  12  or  14  inches  in  the' depth  of  the 
water;  and  boats  arid  small  craft  passing  .to  and 
from  the  mills  conform  to  the  alternate  influx  and 
reflux,  which  succeed  each  other  several  times 
in  a  dayf. 


*  In  181 5  the  waters  of  Ontario  and  the  upper  lakes  rose  higher 
than  they  had  been  for  30  years  past.     This  rise  did  not  all  of  it 
take  place  in  one  year.     It  was  gradual  for  two  preceding  seasons; 
but  the  principal  elevation  was  in  the  summer  of  1815. 
t  See  note  A  at  the  end  of  the  Sketches. 

I  2 


116  SKETCHES  OF 

SKETCH  V. 

CIVIL  DIVISIONS. 

Districts — Counties —  Townships —  Towns —  Con- 
cessions— Lots. 

BY  the  constitutional  act  the  governor  was 
authorized  to  divide  the  province  into  districts, 
counties,  or  circles,  and  towns  or  townships,  and 
to  establish  the  limits  thereof;  subject,  however, 
to  alteration  by  the  provincial  legislature. 

Lord  Dorchester  had,  three  years  before,  formed 
that  part  of  the  province  of  Quebec,  which  now 
composes  Upper  Canada,  into  four  districts ;  Lu- 
nenburgh,  Mecklenburgh,  Nassau,  and  Hesse. 

At  the  first  provincial  parliament  in  1792,  those 
names  were  abolished,  and  the  Eastern,  the  Mid- 
land^ the  Home  and  the  Western  substituted  as 
the  names  of  the  respective  districts;  but  their 
limits  were  not  altered. 

Soon  after  Lieu  tenant-Governor  Simcoe  under- 
took the  administration  of  the  province,  he  issued 
a  proclamation,  dated  July  16,  1792,  dividing  it 
into  19  counties. 

In  1798,  the  parliament  revised  the  civil  divi- 
sions of  the  province ;  and,  making  several  alter- 
ations and  additions,  established  eight  Districts,  23 
Counties,  and  158  Townships. 

THE  EASTERN   DISTRICT 

Was  composed  of  five  counties : 


UPPER  CANADA.  117 

1st.  The  County  of  Glengary,  containing  the 
townships  of  Lancaster,  Charlottenburgh,  and 
Kenyon,  with  the  tract  of  land  claimed  by  the  St. 
Regis  Indians. 

2d.  The  County  of  Stormont,  containing  the 
townships  of  Cornwall,  Osnaburgh,  Finch  and 
Roxburgh. 

3d.  The  County  of  Dundas,  containing  the 
townships  of  Williamsburgh,  Matilda,  Mountain, 
and  Winchester, 

4th.  The  County  of  Prescott,  containing  the 
townships  of  Hawksbury,  Longueil,  with  the 
tract  of  land  in  its  rear,  Alfred  and  Plantagenet. 

5th.  The  County  of  Russell,  containing  the 
townships  of  Clarence,  Cumberland,  Gloucester, 
Osgood,  Russell,  and  Cambridge. 

THE  DISTRICT  OF  JOHNSTOWN 

Was  composed  of  three  counties  : 

1st.  The  County  of  Grenville,  containing  the 
townships  of  Edwardsburgh,  Augusta,  Wolford, 
Oxford  on  the  Rideau,  Marlborough,  Montague, 
North  Gower,  and  South  Gower. 

2d.  The  County  of  Leeds,  containing  the  town- 
ships of  Elizabethtown,  Yonge  (including  what 
was  formerly  called  Escot),  Lansdown,  Leeds, 
Crosby,  Bastard,  Burgess,  Elmsly,  and  Kitly. 

3d.  The  County  of  Carlton,  containing  the 
township  of  Nepean,  with  the  tract  of  land  to  be 
thereafter  laid  out  into  townships,  between  Ne- 
pean and  a  line  drawn  north,  16  degrees  west  from 
the  north  west  angle  of  Crosby,  until  it  intersects 
the  Ottawa  river. 


118  SKETCHES   OF 

THE  MIDLAND  DISTRICT 

Was  composed  of  four  counties,  with  the  land  in 
their  rear,  to  the  northern  limits  of  the  province. 

1st.  The  County  of  Frontinac,  containing  the 
townships  of  Pittsburgh,  Kingston,  Loughborough, 
Portland,  Hinchenbroke,  Bedford,  and  Wolfe 
Island. 

2d.  The  incorporated  Counties  of  Lenox  and 
Addington,  containing  the  townships  of  Ernest 
Town,  Fredericksburg,  Adolphus  Town,  Rich- 
mond, Camden  (east),  Amherst  Island,  and  Shef- 
field. 

3d.  The  County  of  Hastings,  containing  the 
townships  of  Sidney,  Thurlow,  the  tract  of  land 
occupied  by  the  Mohawks,  Hungerford,  Hunting- 
don, and  Rawdon. 

4'th.  The  Comity  of  Prince  Edward,  containing 
the  townships  of  Marysburg,  Hallowell,  Sophias- 
burg,  and  Ameliasburg. 

THE  DISTRICT  OF  NEWCASTLE, 

The  organization  of  which  was  postponed  until  the 
number  of  its  inhabitants  amounted  to  !a  thousand, 
was  composed  of  two  counties,  with  the  land  in 
their  rear,  to  the  northern  limits  of  the  province. 

1st.  The  County  of  Northumberland,  containing 
the  township  of  Murray,  Cramahe,  Haldimand, 
Hamilton,  Alnwick,  Percy,  and  Seymour. 

2d.  The  County  of  Durham,  containing  the 
townships  of  Hope,  Clarke,  and  Darlington,  with 
some  adjoining  lands. 


UPPER   CANADA.  119 

THE  HOME  DISTRICT 

Was  composed  of  two  counties. 

1st.  T/ie  County  of  York,  containing,  in  its 
East  Riding,  the  townships  of  Whitby,  Pickering, 
Scarborough,  York,  Etobicoke,  Markham,  Vaugh- 
an,  King,  Whitchurch,  Uxbridge,  Guillembury, 
and  a  tract  of  land,  thereafter  to  be  laid  out  into 
townships,  between  the  County  of  Durham  and 
lake  Simcoe;  in  the  West  Riding,  the  townships 
of  Beverly,  Hamborough  (east  and  west),  and 
several  tracts  of  land,  not  then  laid  out  into 
townships. 

2d.  The  County  of  Simcoe,  containing  Matche- 
dash,  Gloucester,  or  Penetangueshine,  with  Prince 
William  Henry's  island,  and  a  tract  of  unlocated 
land,  extending  to  the  northern  limits  of  the 
province. 

THE  DISTRICT  OF  NIAGARA 

Was  composed  of  two  counties,  together  with  the 
beach  between  the  head  of  lake  Ontario,  and 
Burlington  bay,  and  the  promontory  between  that 
bay  and  Coot's  Paradise. 

1st.  The  County  of  Lincoln,  containing,  in  its 
first  riding,  the  townships  of  Clinton,  Grimsby, 
Saltfleet,  Barton,  Ancaster,  Glandford,  Binbrook, 
Gainsborough,  and  Caistor:  in  the  second  riding, 
Niagara,  Grantham,  and  Louth ;  in  the  third 
riding,  Stamford,  Thorold,  and  Pelham  ;  in  the 
fourth  riding,  Bertie,  Willoughby,  Crowland,  Hum- 
berstone,  and  Wainfleet. 

2d.  The  County  of  Haldimand,  containing  the 
tract  of  land  on  each  side  of  the  Grand  river,  then 


120  SKETCHES   OF 

in  the  occupation  of  the  Six  Nation  Indians, 
and  lying  to  the  southward  and  south  west  of 
Dundas  Street. 

THE  DISTRICT  OF  LONDON 

Was  composed  of  three  counties,  with  a  tract  of 
land  extending  back  to  lake  Huron. 

1st.  The  County  of  Norfolk,  containing  the 
townships  of  Rainham,  Wai  pole,  Wood  house,  Char- 
lotteville,  Walsingham,  Houghton,  Middleton, 
Windham,  and  Townsend,  with  Turkey  Point, 
and  the  promontory  of  Long  Point. 

2d.  The  County  of  Oxford,  containing  the  town- 
ships of  Burford,  Norwich,  Dereham,  Oxford  upon 
the  Thames,  Blandford,  and  Blenheim. 

3d.  The  County  of  Middlesex,  containing  the 
townships  of  London,  Westminster,  Dorchester, 
Yarmouth,  Southwold,  Malahide,  Bayham,  Dun- 
wich,  Aldborough,  and  Delaware. 

THE  WESTERN  DISTRICT 

Was  composed  of  two  counties,  with  all  the 
north  western  region  of  the  province  not  included 
in  any  other  district. 

1st.  The  County  of  Kent,  containing  the  town- 
ships of  Dover,  Chatham,  Camden  (west),  the 
Moravian  tract  of  land,  called  Orford  (north  and 
south),  Howard,  Harwich,  Raleigh,  Romney,  Til- 
bury (east  and  west),  and  the  Shawney  Indians' 
town. 

2d.  The  County  of  Essex,  containing  the  town- 
ships of  Rochester,  Mersea,  Gosfield,  Maidstone, 
Sandwich,  Colchester,  Maiden,  and  the  lands  of 
the  Hurons,  and  other  Indians  upon  the  strait. 


UPPER   CANADA.  121 

The  adjacent  islands,  in  the  rivers  and  lakes, 
were  generally  annexed  to  the  townships  in  front 
of  which  they  were  situated. 

A  number  of  other  townships  have  been  since 
laid  out ;  and  others  still  will  doubtless  be  added 
as  fast  as  the  population  and  settlement  of  the 
province  shall  require  them. 

In  a  few  of  the  townships  there  is  a  plat  of  a 
mile  square,  distinguished  as  a  town,  but  without 
any  distinct  corporate  privileges.  In  some  instances, 
the  name  of  the  town  is  different  from  that  of 
the  township,  as  Brockville,  in  the  township  of 
Elizabeth  town. 

Several  applications  have  been  made  to  the  pro- 
vincial legislature  for  the  incorporation  of  other 
districts  ;  but  they  have  not  yet  been  granted*. 

As  civil  divisions,  these  districts  are  peculiar  to 
this  province,  and  have  almost  annihilated  the  im- 
portance of  counties.  There  are  district  courts, 
but  no  county  courts.  The  court  house  and  gaol 
belong  to  the  district.  The  sheriff's  authority  is 
commensurate  with  the  district.  The  commission 
of  the  peace  extends  through  the  whole  district,  and 
of  course,  the  jurisdiction  of  the  court  of  sessions 
is  equally  extensive.  So  is  that  of  the  surrogate 
court,  and  the  court  of  assize,  £c.  The  locality 
of  juries,  of  real  and  other  local  actions,  and  of 
crimes,  has  reference  to  the  district.  In  short  there 
are  only  two  or  three  respects,  in  which  counties 

*  The  district  of  Gore  is  now  formed  out  of  part  of  the  Home 
and  Niagara  districts ;  and  the  district  of  Ottawa  is  formed  out  of 
part  of  the  Eastern  district. — R.  G. 


122  SKETCHES    OF 

are  regarded  by  law:  one  is  the  registry  of  land  titles ; 
another  the  organization  of  the  battalions  of  militia*. 

The  townships  extend  nine  miles  in  front,  and 
twelve  miles  back.  This  is  a  general  rule,  from 
which  there  have  been  exceptions,  occasioned  by 
the  shape  and  quantity  of  land  remaining  to  be  laid 
out  after  preceding  locations. 

The  townships  were  laid  out  into  Concessions 
and  lots,  in  this  manner.  A  front  line  was  first 
adjusted  to  the  shore,  so  as  to  leave  as  little  as  pos- 
sible of  head  land  between  it  and  the  water,  and  of 
back  water  between  it  and  the  land.  A  second 
line  was  then  drawn  parallel  with  the  first,  and 
at  the  distance  of  a  hundred  chains,  or  a  mile  and 
a  quarter,  besides  the  allowance  for  a  road.  The 
intervening  range  of  land  was  called  the  first  or 
front  Concession.  In  the  same  manner  a  second 
Concession  was  laid  out,  then  a  third,  fourth,  &c. 
In  the  front  and  between  the  Concessions,  a  strip 
of  land  was  allowed  for  a  road.  The  allowance 
for  the  front  road  was  generally  60  feet,  and  for  the 
other  Concession  roads  40  feet.  Each  Concession 
was  divided  into  lots  of  200  acres,  by  parallel  lines 
at  right  angles  with  the  Concession  lines,  and  20 
chains,  or  a  quartef  of  a  mile  distant  from  each 
other.  At  intervals  of  two  or  three  miles,  a  strip 
of  40  feet,  between  two  lots,  was  left  for  a  cross  road. 


*  Members  of  parliament  are  generally  chosen  by  counties.     In 
Niagara  district  by  ridings,  which  are  equivalent  to  counties.     The 
district  of  Ottawa  is  still  joined  to  the  eastern  district,  as  it  concerng 
assize  courts. — R.  G. 
*  1 


UPPER    CANADA.  123 

In  several  of  the  first  townships  the  lots  were 
laid  only  nineteen  chains  wide,  and  consequently 
the  Concessions  were  proportionally  wider,  to  give 
each  lot,  by  an  addition  of  length,  its  complement 
of  200  acres.  And  in  some  of  the  later  townships, 
1  believe  the  Concession  lines  have  been  drawn  so 
as  to  make  the  200  acre  lots  shorter  and  wider. 

In  the  townships  bordering  upon  the  lakes  and 
great  rivers,  the  Concessions  were  fronted  on  the 
water.  The  ranges  of  townships  laid  out  on  each 
side  of  Yonge  street  and  Dundas  street,  were  fronted 
on  those  streets  respectively. 

The  Concessions  being  numbered  from  the  front 
to  the  rear  of  the  townships,  the  lots  in  each  Con- 
cession were  distinguished  by  their  appropriate 
numbers,  and  are  commonly  described  in  that  man- 
ner ;  as  lot  No.  —  in  the  —  Concession  of  the 
township  of — .  This  description,  by  the  number 
of  the  lot  and  of  the  Concession,  with  the  name 
of  the  township,  is  simple,  familiar,  and  uniform, 
and  at  the  same  time  so  definite,  that  it  has  been 
adjudged  by  the  Court  of  King's  Bench  to  be  suffi- 
cient, not  only  in  a  deed  of  conveyance,  but  even 
in  a  writ  of  ejectment. 

The  inhabitants  of  these  townships  hold  annual 
meetings,  appoint  certain  officers,  and  regulate 
some  matters  of  police  agreeably  to  the  provisions 
of  law,  but  have  not  such  various  corporate  powers 
and  duties,  as  those  little  republics,  the  towns  of 
New  England. 


124  SKETCHES  OF 

SKETCH  VI. 

SETTLEMENTS. 

The  whole  north  eastern  Limits  settled — Cornwall — 
Charlottenburg—Williamsburg — Battle  of  Chrys- 
ler s  Field — Johnstown — Prescott — Elizabeth 
Town —  Brockville — Kingston —  Ernest  To  wn — 
Townships  around  the  Bay  of  Quinte — Newcastle 
District — Yonge  Street — York — Niagara  Dis- 
trict— Indian  Lands — London  District — Western 
District — Shores  of  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario — 
Lord  Selkirk's  Plantation — Situation  of  London 
on  the  Thames. 

IT  has  been  stated  that  Upper  Canada  began  to 
be  settled  in  1784.  A  brief  sketch  of  the  progress 
and  present  state  of  the  settlements  will  be  added. 

From  the  north  eastern  line  to  Elizabeth  town, 
about  70  miles,  the  whole  width  of  the  province, 
between  the  two  boundary  rivers  St.  Lawrence  and 
Ottawa,  was  early  laid  out  into  townships,  in  two, 
three,  and  four  ranges.  These  townships  are  all 
settled,  and  many  of  them  well  cultivated.  Some 
of  them  have  improvements  on  almost  every  lot. 

Cornwall  is  a  flourishing  town,  watered  by  a 
rivulet  running  through  it,  and  situated  on  a  com- 
modious bay  of  the  river  below  the  Longe  Sault. 
It  is  the  seat  of  the  courts  for  the  eastern  district, 
has  a  very  respectable  literary  institution,  a  church 
and  rectory,  and  considerable  trade. 


UPPER  CANADA.  125 

Char  lot  tenburg  next  below,  has  more  agricul- 
ture, and  a  larger  number  of  inhabitants.  It  is 
well  watered  by  the  river  Aux  Raisins ;  but  is  not 
conveniently  situated  for  trade.  The  first  settlers 
were  chiefly  Catholics  from  Scotland.  They  have 
a  Catholic  chapel  in  the  township. 

The  front  of  Williamsburg  is  a  beautiful  situa- 
tion on  the  bank  of  the  river.     In  this  township 
there  is  a  Lutheran  church.    Chrysler's  farm,  in  this 
township,    has   acquired   celebrity   from   a  battle 
fought  there,  November   llth,   1814,   between  a 
part  of  General  Wilkinson's  army  on  their  way 
down  the  St.   Lawrence,    and  a  body  of  British 
troops,  collected  and  commanded  by  Lieutenant- 
Colonel    Morrison,    pursuing    and    harassing  the 
Americans  on  their  march.      The  latter,  led  by 
Brigadier-General  Boyd,  in  the  absence  of  Gene- 
rals Wilkinson  and  Lewis,  who  were  in  the  boats, 
faced  about,   and  commenced   the  action,  in  the 
early  part  of  which  they  were  successful.     But 
Colonel   Morrison,  by  his  judicious   movements, 
and  the  discipline  and  firmness  of  his  troops,  main- 
tained a  well  chosen  position,  and  turned  the  for- 
tune of  the  day.     General  Boyd  being  forced  to 
retreat,  formed  his  troops  again,  with  a  view  to  a 
further  engagement ;  but  was  ordered  to  embark, 
and  proceed  down  the  river.     The  loss  in  killed 
and  wounded  was  severe  on  both  sides.     General 
Covington,    of  the  American  army,    died  of  his 
wounds  a  few  days   afterwards.     This  short  but 
severe  action  is  called  by  the  British  officers  the 
battle  of  Chrysler's  field,  and  by  the  Americans 
the  battle  of  Williamsburg. 


126  SKETCHES    OF 

Johnstown^  in  the  township  of  Edwardsburg, 
is  calculated  for  a  mercantile  depot,  at  the  head  of 
the  Rapids,  being  the  lowest  port  to  and  from 
which  lake  vessels  sail.  It  was  the  court  town  of 
the  eastern  district ;  and  since  the  division  of  the 
original  district,  the  courts  for  the  district  of 
Johnstown  have  been  attended  here,  as  well  as  at 
Elizabeth  town.  Johnstown  has  experienced  a 
comparative  decline. 

Prescott,  a  village  in  Augusta,  opposite  to  Og- 
densburgh,  is  beginning  to  vie  with  that  place  in 
exertions  to  obtain  the  forwarding  business  of  the 
Montreal  boats,  and  the  vessels  of  the  lake.  Al- 
though it  is  not  so  low  down  as  Johnstown,  it  has 
a  bolder  shore. 

Elizabeth  is  a  populous  and  wealthy  township, 
situated  near  the  centre  of  the  district,  has  a  good 
agricultural  country  around  it,  and  is  increasing  in 
commercial  business. 

The  village  at  the  front  of  this  township  has 
received  the  name  of  Brockville.  Although  not 
regularly  fortified,  it  was  the  station  of  a  few 
troops,  and  the  scene  of  some  military  operations. 
On  the  7th  of  February,  1813,  Captain  Forsyth, 
with  200  volunteers  from  Ogdensburgh,  landed 
in  this  village,  surprised  the  guard,  and  took  about 
40  prisoners,  with  some  arms,  ammunition,  and 
other  public  stores. 

From  the  townships  adjoining  the  Ottawa,  and 
the  rivers  Rideau  and  Petite  Nation,  which  empty 
into  the  Ottawa,  the  produce  is  transported  in 
boats  down  that  river  to  Montreal,  and  goods  are 
remitted  through  the  same  channel.  The  head 


UPPER   CANADA.  127 

waters  of  these  streams  communicate  by  short  port- 
ages with  those  which  fall  into  the  St.  Lawrence; 
and  by  means  of  locks  and  canals,  an  inland  navi- 
gation might  be  easily  effected  between  the  St. 
Lawrence  and  the  Ottawa,  to  the  benefit  of  com- 
mercial intercourse,  and  the  security  of  the  pro- 
vince in  time  of  war.  The  forks  of  the  Rideau, 
around  which  the  townships  of  Oxford,  Marl- 
borough,  and  Gower,  are  situated,  are  expected 
to  become  an  emporium  of  interior  commerce. 
They  afford  advantageous  situations  for  water  works, 
especially  for  the  manufacture  of  iron,  and  it  is 
said  there  is  a  good  supply  of  ore  in  the  vicinity. 

From  Elizabeth  town  upward,  the  settlements 
are  of  the  depth  of  three  townships,  or  between 
30  or  40  miles  throughout  the  district  of  Johns- 
town. 

In  Frontinac,  the  eastern  county  of  the  mid- 
land district,  two  ranges  of  townships  are  settled, 
besides  the  settlements  on  the  islands. 

The  harbour  of  Kingston  has  already  been  de- 
scribed. The  town  fronts  the  harbour  in  full  view 
of  the  water  and  shipping.  Streets  are  laid  out 
parallel  with  the  harbour,  at  convenient  distances 
from  each  other,  and  are  intersected  at  right  angles, 
by  cross  streets  dividing  the  town  into  squares. 
One  square  is  an  open  public  area  in  front  of  the 
court  house,  and  gaol,  and  episcopal  church. — 
In  this  area  is  the  market.  Besides  these  public 
buildings  there  are  a  new  Catholic  church,  bar- 
racks for  the  troops  of  the  garrison,  an  hospital, 
and  a  house  for  the  commanding  officer,  about 


128  SKETCHES   OP 

300  other  dwelling  houses,  a  number  of  ware- 
houses and  stores,  about  60  shops  of  goods,  seve- 
ral public  offices,  a  respectable  district  school,  a 
valuable  library,  besides  mechanic  shops,  &c. 
Though  the  war  destroyed  Niagara,  checked  the 
progress  of  York,  and  made  Ernest  town  "  a 
deserted  village,"  it  doubled  the  population,  the 
buildings,  and  business  of  Kingston. 

The  court  house  and  gaol,  Catholic  church, 
many  of  the  principal  dwelling  houses,  and  some 
stores,  are  built  of  a  bluish  limestone,  dug  out  of 
.the  ground,  in  large  quantities,  in  the  midst  of 
the  town.  This  species  of  stone  is  common  in  the 
country,  and  will  be  more  particularly  noticed  in 
a  sketch  of  the  soil.  The  quarries  of  it  here  are 
convenient  and  valuable  for  purposes  of  building; 
but  the  style  of  building  is  not  tasty  and  elegant. 

Kingston  is  not  well  supplied  with  water. — 
Wells  are  difficult  to  be  obtained,  and  their  water 
is  not  very  good.  The  water  of  the  bay  is  less 
pure  than  that  of  the  open  lake.  Some  springs  in 
the  rear  of  the  town,  yield  a  partial  supply  of  clear 
water,  very  slightly  affected  by  its  passage  through 
strata  of  limestone. 

The  township  of  Kingston  is  in  some  places 
stony,  and  contains  a  number  of  lots  still  unset- 
tled, probably  because  they  are  owned  by  gentle- 
men engaged  in  other  employments  than  the  culti- 
vation of  land. 

Kingston  is  subject  to  one  local  disadvantage, 
the  want  of  a  populous  back  country. 

Loughborough  situated  north,  and  Portland  north 
2 


TIPPER   CANADA.  129 

west,  have  made  some  progress  in  settlement,  but 
are  yet  thinly  inhabited. 

The  next  township  on  the  lake  is  Ernest  Town, 
vulgarly  called  Second  Town.  It  is  level,  and  has  a 
rich  soil,  with  but  little  waste  ground.  There  is  more 
arable  land  than  meadow  or  pasture.  It  is  watered 
by  two  rivers  and  various  smaller  streams,  running 
into  the  lake,  and  furnishing  convenient  mill  seats. 
Nearly  all  the  lots  are  settled,  and  generally  under 
good  improvement.  The  settlers  are  most  of  them 
practical  husbandmen.  Their  farms  are  well  fenc- 
ed, well  tilled,  and  accommodated  with  barns. 
There  are  now  (1811)  above  2,300  inhabitants,  a 
greater  number  than  are  found  in  any  other  town- 
ship in  the  province.  They  have  three  houses 
of  public  worship,  one  Episcopalian,  one  Presby- 
terian, and  one  Methodist,  attended  by  clergymen 
of  these  respective  denominations.  In  the  front 
of  the  township,  adjoining  the  harbour,  18  miles 
above  Kingston,  at  the  division  of  the  great  road 
into  branches,  passing  up  on  the  inside  and  outside 
of  the  bay  of  Quinte,  a  village  is  begun,  which  pro- 
mises to  be  a  place  of  considerable  business.  Its 
harbour  has  been  noticed  in  the  description  of  the 
lake.  From  the  lake  shore,  the  ground  ascends 
about  seventy  rods,  and  thence  slopes  off  in  a 
gentle  northern  descent.  The  ascent  is  divided 
into  regular  squares  by  five  streets,  laid  parallel 
with  the  shore;  one  of  them  being  the  lower 
branch  of  the  main  road,  and  all  of  them  crossed 
at  right  angles,  by  streets  running  northerly.  One 
of  these  cross  streets  is  continued  through  the  Con- 
ic 


130  SKETCHES    OF 

cession,  and  forms  that  branch  of  the  main  road 
which  passes  round  the  bay  of  Quinte.  On  the 
east  side  of  this  street  at  the  most  elevated  point 
stands  the  church  ;  and  on  the  opposite  side  is  the 
academy,  overlooking  the  village,  and  command- 
ing a  variegated  prospect  of  the  harbour,  the  sound, 
the  adjacent  island,  the  outlets  into  the  open  lake, 
and  the  shores  stretching  eastward  and  westward, 
with  a  fine  landscape  view  of  the  country  all 
around.  The  situation  is  healthy  and  delightful, 
not  surpassed  perhaps  in  natural  advantages  by  any 
in  America. 

The  village  contains  a  valuable  social  Library; 
is  increasing  in  buildings,  accommodations,  inhabi- 
tants, and  business,  and  seems  calculated  to  be 
the  central  point  of  a  populous  and  productive  tract 
of  country  around  it. 

Amherst  island  in  front,  has  between  one  and 
two  hundred  inhabitants,  and  is  a  distinct  town- 
ship, although  for  some  public  purposes  it  is  an- 
nexed to  Ernest  Town. 

Camden  lies  north,  and  is  settled  to  the  distance 
of  about  twenty  miles  from  the  lake. 

Although  Ernest  town  is  entirely  east  of  the  bay 
of  Quinte,  it  is  commonly  considered,  especially 
by  people  residing  at  a  distance,  to  belong  to  the  bay. 

Fredericksburg ,  the  next  township,  is  not  so 
uniformly  settled  and  improved ;  but  has  a  large 
population,  and  many  excellent  farms,  an  episcopal 
church*,  and  a  Lutheran  meeting  house.  The 
Appanee  separates  it  from  Richmond  on  the  north. 

*  The  Episcopal  church  has  since  been  burnt. 


UPPER    CANADA.  131 

Adolphus  Town  is  surrounded  on  the  south 
west,  and  north,  by  the  bay,  and  is  indented  with 
several  fine  coves,  furnishing  convenient  landing 
places.  It  is  not  large,  but  is  well  cultivated,  and 
has  a  town,  or  village,  with  a  courthouse,  where 
the  court  of  general  quarter  sessions  for  the  Mid- 
land District  sits  semi-annually ;  the  other  two  al- 
ternate terms  being  holden  at  Kingston.  A  society 
of  friends  have  their  meetings  in  Adolphus  Town. 
Travelling  the  main  road  to  the  seat  of  government, 
you  cross  .the  bay  from  this  town  to  the  peninsula 
of  Prince  Edward,  by  a  ferry  of  about  a  mile. 

In  Myrysburg,  Hallowell,  Sophiasburg,  and  Ame- 
liasburg,  the  four  townships  of  Prince  Edward,  the 
peninsula  so.uth  of  the  bay  of  Quinte,  there  is  some 
rough  and  waste  land  ;  but  a  large  proportion  of  no- 
ble farms  under  good  cultivation.  Hallpwell  is  a 
flourishing  village,  advantageously  situated  on  tl\e 
bay.  The  road  over  the  isthmus,  from  the  head  of 
the  bay  to  the  lake,  has  Ameliasburg  in  the  mid-, 
land  district,  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other, 
Murray,  a  township  of  the  district  of  Newcastle. 
It  appears  to  be  a  place  of  increasing  activity  ;  but 
the  soil  is  not  of  the  first  quality. 

In  Marysburg,  opposite  to  Adolphus  Town, 
there  is  a  lake  or  pond  of  several  hundred  acres  on 
the  top  of  a  hill,  two  hundred  feet  higher  them  the 
surface  of  lake  Ontario.  There  is  no  stream  en- 
tering this  small  lake  ;  but  one  issuing  from  it  suf- 
ficient to  carry  a  mill,  called  Van  Alstine's  mill, 
standing  by  the  shore  of  the  bay  of  Quinte. 

North  of  the  bay  there  are  two  ranges  of  town- 
K  2 


132  SKETCHES   OF 

ships.  West  of  Richmond,  is  the  Mohawk  land, 
a  fertile  tract,  nine  miles  in  front,  and  twelve  miles 
deep,  assigned  to  a  portion  of  the  Mohawks,  who 
chose  to  separate  from  the  Six  Nations  on  the  Grand 
river.  It  is  inhabited  by  the  Indians  only,  accord- 
ing to  their  mode  of  habitation,  and  of  course  is 
little  improved,  and  the  roads  are  bad.  In  the 
front  of  the  village  is  a  church  built  by  the  Society 
for  propagating  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  who 
have,  for  a  number  of  years,  maintained  a  reader 
of  service,  and  a  schoolmaster  for  these  Indians. 

Thurlow,  adjoining  westward,  is  well  settled  in 
cront,  and  near  its  south  western  angle,  Myers 
river  has  good  improvements,  extending  five  or  six 
miles  up  the  river.  At  the  mouth  there  is  a  hand- 
some collection  of  houses  and  shops,  with  a  plea- 
sant public  square  or  common.  This  village  is 
built  on  low  ground,  and  is  subject  to  inundation 
when  the  river  is  choked  with  ice. 

The  improvements  continue  pretty  uniform 
throughout  Sidney,  and  to  the  river  Trent,  in  the 
township  of  Murray.  Thence  through  the  fertile 
well  watered  townships  of  the  district  of  New- 
castle, generally,  the  settlements  appear  new  ;  but 
they  are  beginning  to  flourish.  Their  natural  ad- 
vantages are  of  a  superior  order.  Cramahe,  Haldi- 
mand,  Hamilton,  and  Hope,  are  making  good  pro- 
gress in  population.  Hamilton  is  the  seat  of  jus- 
tice for  the  district  of  Newcastle. 

From  that  district  to  York,  the  country,  not- 
withstanding its  fertility,  is  thinly  settled  ;  and, 
consequently,  the  roads  are  unfinished  and  out  of 


UPPER   CANADA.  133 

repair,  the  land  having  been  granted  in  large  blocks 
to  non-resident  proprietors. 

The  government,  as  well  as  travellers,  appear  to 
be  convinced  of  the  ill  policy  of  such  grants  upon 
a  great  public  road.  For,  in  later  instances,  the 
lots  located  on  such  a  road  have  been  granted  upon 
condition  of  actual  settlement,  the  clearing  of 
acertain  quantity  of  the  land,  the  erection  of  a  house, 
and  the  making  of  the  road  across  each  lot. 

Upon  these  principles,  the  two  ranges  of  town- 
ships butting  upon  Yonge  street  were  granted, 
except  that  the  troops  under  General  Simcoe  were 
employed  in  opening  the  way  at  first.  Thus  a 
noble  chain  of  agricultural  improvements  has,  in  a 
short  time,  been  extended  from  York  to  Guillem- 
burg,  near  lake  Simcoe.  A  new  region  is  peopled, 
and  the  public  are  accommodated  with  a  good 
road.  In  consequence  of  which,  the  country  is  en- 
riched, and  the  town  of  York  highly  benefited, 
notwithstanding  some  non-resident  lands  in  its 
immediate  vicinity. 

York  has  other  advantages,  natural  and  adven- 
titious. It  is  situated  on  a  beautiful  plain,  in  a 
rich  soil,  and  temperate  climate.  Its  harbour  and 
connexion  with  the  lake  have  been  already  sketched. 
The  town  plat,  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half  in 
length,  is  laid  out  in  regular  streets,  lots,  and 
squares,  having  the  Garrison,  and  the  site  of  the 
parliament  house  on  its  two  wings,  and  a  market 
near  the  center. 

There  is  a  public  square  open  to  the  water. 
Many  neat,  and  some  elegant  houses  are  erected, 
2 


134  SKETCHES   OP 

arid  the  town  has  a  mixed  appearance  of  city  and 
country.     It  is  the  seat  of  government,  the  place 
of  the  residence  of  his  excellency  the  Lieutenant 
Governor,  and  of  the  annual  session  of  parliament. 
Here   the  provincial  offices  are  kept,   the  public 
officers  reside,  and  the  business  of  the  province  is 
transacted.     It  is  the  resort  of  persons  applying  for 
land,  or  making  any  other  applications  to  govern- 
ment, and  of  travellers  visiting  the  country.     It  is 
likewise  the  seat  of  the  courts  and  offices  of  the 
home  district,  and  has  an  episcopal  church,  a  dis- 
trict school,  a  printing  office,  and  much  professional 
and    mercantile  business.     In  summer  the  beach 
of  t-he  peninsula  is  a  healthy  and  delightful  ride ; 
and  the  bay,  covered  with  level  ice,  forms  an  ex- 
tensive plain  for  the  winter  amusement  of  sleighing. 
York  increased  but  little  in  its  buildings  during 
the  war,  except  some  military  erections  at  the  west 
end  of  the  town,  and  a  naval  store-house  and  wharf 
in  front  of  it. 

Since  the  general  establishment  of  civil  divisions 
in  1798,  several  new  townships  have  been  sur- 
veyed, granted,  and  partially  settled,  among  which 
are  three  in  the  new  Indian  purchase,  west  of  York, 
between  Etobicoke  and  the  head  of  the  lake :  viz. 
Toronto,  Trafalgar,  and  Nelson. 

The  district  of  Niagara  was  originally  settled  in 
1784,  by  the  disbanded  rangers  of  Col.  Butler's 
regiment.  In  1785,  and  the  suceeding  years,  many 
emigrants  arrived  there  from  the  states  of  New 
York,  Pennsylvania,  and  New  Jersey,  particularly 
the  county  of  Sussex,  in  the  latter  state.  Other 


UPPER    CANADA.  135 

settlers  have  been  annually  coming  in  from  various 
quarters.  The  whole  district,  about  seventy  miles 
(since  the  formation  of  Gore  much  less)  by  forty,  is 
now  generally  cleared,  inhabited,  and  cultivated. 
In  the  cultivation  of  fruit,  the  inhabitants  of 
Niagara  district  have  been  peculiarly  successful. 

Many  of  the  settlers  of  the  district  of  London 
also,  particularly  of  the  county  of  Norfolk,  emi- 
grated from  the  same  states  as  the  settlers  of  Nia- 
gara, and  are  pursuing  similar  modes  of  cultivation. 
The  land  being  thinly  timbered,  settlements  were 
easily  effected,  and  good  roads  soon  formed. 
Colonel  Talbot  has  a  flourishing  new  settlement 
called  Port  Talbot,  on  the  lake  shore,  west  of  Long 
Point,  in  the  township  of  Dunwich,  and  the  town- 
ships in  this  section  of  the  country  generally  are 
rapidly  progressing  in  population  and  improvement. 
In  August,  1814,  a  party  of  Indians  and  Americans, 
painted  like  Indians,  surprised  the  settlement  of 
Port  Talbot,  took  a  number  of  the  inhabitants,  and 
plundered  about  fifty  of  them  of  their  horses,  and 
other  property. 

An  extensive  and  valuable  territory  on  the  Grand 
river  was  assigned  by  Governor  Haldimand,  in  the 
name  of  the  crown,  to  the  Six  Nations  of  Indians, 
to  compensate  them  for  their  services  in  the  revo- 
lutionary war,  and  supply  the  loss  of  their  lands  in 
the  province,  now  state  ofiSW  York. 

This  confederacy  of  Indians  was  originally  com- 
posed of  five  tribes  only,  who  were  called  the  Five 
Nations,  or  Iroquois.  They  afterwards  received  into 
their  national  union  the  Tuscaroras,  a  tribe  that 


136  SKETCHES   OF 

migrated  from  North  Carolina;  and  thereafter  they 
were  generally  denominated  the  Six  Nations.     In 
the  revolution  they  divided,  some  of  them  sided 
with  the  colonies,  and  remained  in  possession  of 
their  lands.     The  others  took  up  the  hatchet  on 
the  side  of  the  king  ;  and  being  obliged  to  abandon 
their  possessions,  removed  into  Canada,   and  were 
liberally  rewarded  by  the  sovereign  they  had  served 
with  land  on  both  sides  of  the  Grand  river,  pur- 
chased for  that  purpose,  of  the  Missassaga  Indians. 
Under  the  auspices  of  the  late  Captain  Brandt, 
they  sold  several  blocks,  or  townships  of  land,  and 
took  bonds  for  the  payment  of  the  stipulated  price, 
upon  condition  that  the  sales  should  be  confirmed 
by  the  crown;  and  they  have  accordingly  been  con- 
firmed on  certain  terms,  respecting  the  investment 
of  the  principal  of  the  money  arising  from  the  sales. 
The  Indians  have,   according  to  their  mode  of 
proceeding,  since  given  long  leases  of  other  blocks 
of  their  land  ;  and  the  lessees,  to  the  number  of 
several  hundreds,    have  entered  and   are  now  in 
possession  of  the  land  thus  leased ;  but  not  having 
obtained  confirmations,   they  are  embarrassed  for 
want   of  a  legal  title.      They  are  formed  into  a 
county  by  the  name  of  Haldimand. 

Oxford,  on  the  upper  fork  of  the  river  Thames, 
is  42  miles  from  Burlington  Bay,  by  the  route  of 
Dundas  street.  Blenheim  and  Blandford  lie  north. 
Dorchester  is  situated  on  the  middle  fork,  and 
London  on  the  lower  or  main  fork,  with  West- 
minster adjoining  it ;  Chatham  and  Harwich  are 
lower  down  the  river,  in  the  county  of  Kent. 


UPPER   CANADA.  137 

The  country  along  this  fine  river,  and  between 
it  and  the  shore  of  lake  Erie,  including  the  pe- 
ninsula formed  by  that  lake,  the  Detroit  and  lake 
Sinclair,  is  surveyed  into  townships,  most  of  which 
are  settled,  or  in  a  course  of  rapid  settlement,  with* 
a  prospect  of  becoming  one  of  the  most  delightful 
regions  in  the  world. 

A  line  of  settlements  is  thus  marked  out  along 
the  lakes  Ontario  and  Erie.  Should  population 
continue  to  advance  with  its  usual  ratio  of  in- 
crease, the  shores  of  these  lakes  all  around,  as  well 
on  the  side  of  the  United  States,  as  that  of  Canada, 
will  in  a  few  years  be  an  extensive  range  of  villages 
and  cultivated  fields.  The  produce  of  this  fertile 
interior  must  be  great,  in  whatever  proportion  it 
may  eventually  go  to  market,  through  the  St.  Law- 
rence  or  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi.  Or  whether 
any  of  the  gigantic  projects  of  lock  and  canal 
communication  with  Hudson's  river,  the  Delaware, 
the  Susquehannah,  or  the  Potowmac,  shall  be  car- 
ried into  effect  or  not.  By  an  inspection  of  the 
map,  it  may  be  seen  that  the  Canadian  shore  is  all 
laid  out  into  townships,  from  the  lower  province  up 
to  lake  Sinclair. 

Lord  Selkirk,  of  Scotland,  has  commenced  a 
plantation  on  that  lake,  but  was  not  very  fortunate 
in  his  location.  The  land  in  general  is  low  and 
wet,  and  although  it  is  exceedingly  rich,  proved  at 
first  to  be  unhealthy.  Some  of  it,  however,  is 
adapted  to  the  breeding  of  sheep,  in  which  he  was 
successful.  His  settlement  is  said  to  have  suffered 
by  the  war. 


138  SKETCHES   OF 

General  Simcoe,  in  hjs  administration,  is  thought 
to  have  contemplated  London  as  the  future  capital 
of  the  province.  The  natural  advantages  on  which 
Jiis  expectation  is  alleged  to  have  been  founded, 
were  the  centrality  of  its  position  between  the 
lakes  Ontario,  Erie,  and  Huron,  its  fortunate  si- 
tuation on  the  Thames ;  the  fertility  of  the  coun- 
try ;  the  mildness  and  salubrity  of  its  climate;  the 
abundance  and  purity  of  its  water;  its  means  of 
military  and  naval  protection,  and  the  facility  of 
communication  with  lake  Sinclair  through  the 
outlet  of  the  Thames ;  with  lake  Huron  by  the 
northern  branch  of  that  noble  river  ;  with  the  Grand 
river  by  a  short  portage;  and  with  lake  Ontario,  by 
the  military  way  called  Dundas  street.  With  a 
view  to  this  expected  state  of  things,  the  names  of 
the  river,  the  contemplated  metropolis,  the  adja- 
cent towns,  &c.  were  taken  from  those  of  corres- 
ponding objects  in  the  mother  country. 

This  project  however  of  General  Simcoe,  if  he 
ever  entertained  it,  appears  to  have  been  a  vision- 
ary one.  Before  London  can  become  a  seat  of  pro- 
vincial government  the  province  must  be  divided. 
If  the  government  should  be  removed  from  York, 
the  removal  will  probably  be  to  Kingston. 


UPPER   CANADA.  139 

SKETCH  VII. 

POPULATION. 

Mode  of  Calculation. —  Whole  Number  of  Inhabi- 
tants. 

I  HAVE  not  been  able  to  obtain  accurate  official 
returns  of  the  number  of  inhabitants  in  the  various 
townships  and  districts  throughout  the  province,  but 
have  formed  an  estimate  in  the  following  manner. 

In  the  statements  of  district  taxes  for  the  year 
ending  March,  1811,  returned  to  the  Provincial 
Parliament  by  the  clerks  of  the  peace  in  the  respec- 
tive districts,  the  number  of  persons  taxed  is  in 
most  instances  expressed  ;  and  where  it  is  omitted, 
the  omission  being  supplied  by  a  calculation  found- 
ed upon  the  relative  numbers  of  persons,  and 
amounts  of  taxes,  the  result  is  nine  thousand  six 
hundred  and  twenty-three,  persons  taxed. 

Then  having  the  number  of  persons  taxed  in  the 
most  populous  township,  as  returned  by  the  asses- 
sors, and  also  the  whole  number  of  inhabitants  in 
the  same  township,  including  men,  women,  and 
children,  as  taken  by  the  clerk,  I  find  upon  com- 
paring them,  that  rejecting  a  small  fraction,  the  pro- 
portion is  as  one  to  eight.  Applying  that  propor- 
tion to  the  province,  it  gives,  for  the  whole  popu- 
lation, seventy-six  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
eighty-four. 


140  SKETCHES   OF 

Although  this  calculation  is  not  to  be  relied  on 
for  absolute  exactness,  it  is  sufficiently  certain  to 
answer  the  purposes  of  general  information*. 

I  have  no  data  for  estimating  the  proportions  of 
persons  of  different  ages  and  sexes,  or  the  exact 
ratio  of  increase.  The  latter  being  affected  by  ac- 
cessions from  Europe  and  the  lower  province,  and 
still  more  from  the  United  States,  has  depended, 
and  must  hereafter  depend  in  a  considerable  degree 
upon  the  encouragement  holden  out  to  settlers.  A 
fair  understanding  of  the  real  state  of  the  country 
in  respect  to  climate  and  soil,  the  cheapness  of 
land,  the  security  of  titles,  the  value  of  labour,  the 
lightness  of  taxes,  and  the  protection  of  property, 
will,  under  the  continuance  of  a  wise  and  liberal 
policy  towards  settlers,  promote  emigrations,  and 
accelerate  the  progress  of  population. 


SKETCH  VIII. 

CLIMATE,  WINDS,  &c. 

Prevailing  Winds — Weather — Temperature  of  the 
Air  compared  with  the  same  Parallels  of  Latitude 
in  the  United  States — Change  of  Winters — 
Snow — State  of  Health. 

BY  climate,  is  not  intended  the  situation  of  the 
province  in  reference  to  degrees  of  latitude,  but  the 

*  Mr.  Heriot  has  estimated  the  population  of  Upper  Canada  at 
80,000.     This  was  in  1806. 


UPPER   CANADA.  141 

general  temperature  of  the  air.  This  is,  in  some 
measure,  affected  by  the  winds,  which,  also,  are 
influenced  by  the  configuration  of  the  country  into 
mountains,  valleys,  beds  of  rivers,  &c. 

The  prevailing  winds  of  Upper  Canada  are  the 
south  west,  the  north  east,  and  north  west.  In 
summer  the  wind  blows  two  thirds  of  the  time 
down  stream,  that  is,  from  the  south  west.  As  it 
passes  over  the  lakes,  the  air  collects  a  moisture, 
which  excites  an  unpleasant  sensation.  In  spring 
and  autumn,  this  wind  is  sometimes  quite  uncom- 
fortable. However,  compared  with  the  north  east, 
and  north  west,  it  is  generally  moderate.  The 
north  east  is  damp  and  chilly,  but  not  to  such  a 
degree  as  at  Boston  and  other  places  on  the  Atlan- 
tic board.  The  longest  storms  of  rain,  and  the 
deepest  falls  of  snow,  are  usually  accompanied  by 
easterly  winds.  The  north  west,  which  is  most  fre- 
quent in  winter,  is  dry,  cold,  and  elastic.  The  south 
east  is  soft,  thawy  and  rainy.  The  wind  blows 
less  frequently  from  the  west  and  south,  and  still 
more  seldom  from  due  north. 

Almost  every  day  in  the  summer,  especially 
when  the  wind  blows  from  the  south  west,  it  rises 
about  nine  or  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  and  con- 
tinues to  increase  in  strength  till  towards  evening, 
when  it  gradually  lulls  away. 

Changes  of  wind  are  attended  by  corresponding 
changes  of  weather.  The  most  sudden  are  to  the 
north  west,  followed  by  weather  clear  and  cold  for 
the  season.  Almost  every  thunder  shower  clears  up 
with  this  wind. 


SKETCHES    OF 

This  ordinary  state  of  the  winds  is  conformable  to 
the  shape  of  the  country.  Upper  Canada  is  gene- 
rally level,  much  more  so  than  the  adjacent  states 
of  Vermont  and  New  York.  The  broad  valley 
which  extends  from  the  lower  province  along  the 
St.  Lawrence,  around  Ontario  and  Erie,  and  thence 
over  to  the  Ohio,  is  not  interrupted  by  one  single 
mountain.  The  descent  of  300  feet  from  the  plain  of 
Erie  to  that  of  Ontario,  is  not  such  an  interruption. 
Eastward  of  the  Ohio,  the  Alleganian  chain  from 
the  south,  stretches  up  into  the  state  of  New  York  ; 
and  south  east  of  Ontario,  there  is  a  range  of  high- 
lands, spreading  from  the  Black  River  towards  lake 
Champlain.  On  that  elevated  ground  about  the 
Black  River,  the  snow  is  commonly  deeper,  and 
the  cold  more  severe  than  on  the  north  side  of  lake 
Ontario. 

The  south  west  wind,  which  sweeps  this 
country,  is  a  continuation  of  the  vast  etherial 
stream,  impelled  from  the  gulph  of  Mexico,  along 
the  basin  of  the  Mississippi,  the  Ohio,  the  lakes 
and  their  river,  to  the  gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  com- 
ing from  a  warm  region,  it  imparts  warmth  to  the 
climate  as  it  passes.  On  the  Mississippi  side  of 
the  Alleganies,  the  air  is  generally  considered  to 
be  warmer  by  two  or  three  degrees  of  latitude  than 
on  the  Atlantic  side.  Some  natural  cause,  proba- 
bly the  same,  produces  a  similar,  perhaps  not  equal 
effect  on  the  climate  of  Upper  Canada  ;  where, 
although  the  fact  has  not  been  philosophically  de- 
termined by  an  accurate  series  of  thermometrical 
observations,  it  is  abundantly  true,  that  the  cold  is 

3 


UPPER  CANADA.  143 

less  severe  than  it  is   in  corresponding  degrees  of 
latitude  in  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire,  and 
Vermont.     This  is  the  uniform  declaration  of  in- 
habitants, who  from  their  own  residence  in  both 
situations,  are  qualified  to  form  a  just  comparison. 
Gentlemen  settled   on  the  bay    of  Quinte,   who 
once  resided  in  the  state  of  New  York,  have  assur- 
ed me,  that  the  climate  of  their  present  residence 
is  not  colder  than  that  of  Albany.    A  similar  assur- 
ance was  expressed  by  an  observing  inhabitant  of 
Windham,  in  the  county  of  Norfolk,  who  formerly 
lived  in  Dutchess  county,  in  the  state  of  New  York, 
and  who  thinks  there  is  no  material  difference  in 
the   temperature  of  those  two  places.      Many  of 
the  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  Niagara  and  at  the 
head  of  lake  Ontario,  emigrated  from  New  Jersey. 
By  conversing  with  a  number  of  them,  men  of  in- 
telligence and  observation,  I  found  it  to   be  their 
opinion,  that  they  enjoy  as  mild  a  climate  as  they 
did   before   their  emigration,  notwithstanding  the 
difference  of  more  than   two  degrees  of  latitude. 
Such  appears   to  be  the  concurring  testimony  of 
those  inhabitants,  who  have  had  sufficient  personal 
opportunities  of  comparing  the  climate  of  this  in- 
terior with  that   of  the  Atlantic  states  ;  which  al- 
though  corresponding  with  the  eastern  shores  of 
Asia,  in  respect  to  cold  and  heat,  are  known  to  be 
colder  than  the    same   parallels    in    the   west   of 
Europe. 

The   land  crab,  an  animal  of  warm  climates,  is 
seen  upon  the  north  shores  of  lake  Erie. 

It   is  the    belief  of  the    inhabitants  here,    that 


144  SKETCHES    OF 

their  winters  are  less  rigorous  and  snowy  than 
they  were  when  the  province  was  first  settled.  A 
snow  which  fell  in  February,  1811,  about  two  feet 
and  three  inches  deep,  was  every  where  spoken  of 
as  remarkable  for  its  depth. 

Snows  are  not  so  liable  to  drifts  here  as  in  the 
more  hilly  districts  of  New  England  ;  nor  so  much 
exposed  to  the  thawing  influence  of  south  eastern 
winds  as  in  places  nearer  the  sea  board.  Yet 
sleighing,  although  a  pleasant  mode  of  travelling, 
and  very  convenient  for  transportation,  especially 
when  summer  roads  are  new  and  incomplete,  is  sub- 
ject to  too  much  uncertainty  from  the  fluctuations 
of  weather,  to  be  safely  depended  upon  even  here 
for  distant  journeys. 

The  climate  of  Upper  Canada  is  favourable  to 
health  and  longevity.  At  the  first  settlement,  in- 
deed, in  common  with  all  new  countries,  this  was 
afflicted  with  the  fevers  incident  to  that  stage  of 
cultivation ;  but  those  effects  ceased  with  their 
cause,  and  the  country  is  now  very  healthy.  This 
opinion  is  founded  upon  the  information  of  medi- 
cal gentlemen  and  others,  confirmed  by  observation 
and  my  own  personal  experience.  I  have  found 
travelling  and  residing  in  it,  to  be  salutary  and  re- 
storative to  a  feeble  constitution*. 


*  I  cannot  refrain  from  adding  my  own  testimony  to  the  above 
most  important  fact.  After  two  years  residence  in  Upper  Ca- 
nada, I  am  inclined  to  think  the  world  does  not  contain  a  spot 
more  healthy,  or,  altogether,  more  desirable  as  to  climate  and 
soil.— R.  G. 


UPPER  CANADA.  145 


SKETCH  IX. 


WATER. 

Streams  of  Water  and  their  Quality — Lake  Water 
—Scarborough  Medicinal  Springs — Springs  of 
Bitumen — Sulphur — Salt. 

THE  water  of  the  province  generally  is  in  a 
slight  degree  impregnated  with  the  quality  of  lime- 
stone, which  so  much  abounds.  Strangers  per- 
ceive it  by  the  taste,  although  it  is  imperceptible 
to  the  old  inhabitants.  It  is»  also  proved  by  the 
sediment  adhering  to  tea-kettles  and  other  vessels. 

Some  tracts  of  low  flat  land  are  not  well  watered. 
The  streams  are  not  frequent,  and  the  water  is  not 
limpid  and  pure,  as  it  is  in  hilly  regions.  In  the 
district  of  Newcastle,  however,  and  many  other 
places,  the  country,  although  not  mountainpus,  is 
undulated  by  gentle  hills  and  valleys,  and  the  wa- 
ter is  abundant  and  excellent. 

The  water  of  the  lakes  also,  as  has  been  already 
mentioned,  is  soft  and  salubrious,  and  is  accordingly 
used  for  drink,  cookery,  washing,  and  other  com- 
mon purposes. 

In  the  township  of  Scarborough,  15  miles  east 
of  York,  there  are  two  medicinal  springs,  four  or 
five  rods  apart.  The  water  bubbles  out  of  the  top, 
and  runs  over  a  concretion  of  the  sediment,  formed 
into  the  shape  of  a  sugar  loaf,  of  a  grey  or  mixed  co- 
lour. No  considerable  stream  flows  away.  The 


146  SKETCHES    OF 

water  appears  to  be  principally  absorbed  by  the 
adjacent  ground.  Its  properties  have  not  been 
ascertained  by  a  chemical  analysis  ;  but  in  taste 
and  appearance,  it  resembles  the  waters  of  Balls- 
town  and  Saratoga  in  the  state  of  New  York,  which 
are  so  highly  celebrated  ;  and  so  much  frequented 
by  valetudinarians  and  fashionables  from  all  quar- 
ters of  the  United  States.  The  Scarborough  springs 
begin  to  be  resorted  to  by  persons  affected  with 
rheumatic  and  other  chronical  complaints.  An 
eminent  physician  of  York,  is  said  to  have  received 
much  benefit  from  the  use  of  the  water. 

Near  the  Moravian  villages  on  the  river  Thames, 
there  are  springs  of  petroleum.  A  bituminous 
substance  appears  on  several  of  the  waters  of  the 
nofah  western  country. 

At  the  head  of  lake  Ontario  there  are  several 
fountains  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur.  In 
some  of  them  it  is  found  in  substance,  collected 
into  solid  lumps  of  brimstone. 

There  are  likewise  salt-licks  or  springs.  One  in 
the  township  of  Saltfleet,  wrought  only  on  a  small 
scale,  has  produced  a  barrel  of  salt  in  a  day,  and 
it  is  thought  it  might  be  made  to  produce  a  much 
larger  quantity.  There  is  another  in  the  peninsula 
of  Prince  Edward,  in  the  township  of  Sophiasburgh. 

The  salt  springs  on  the  river  Trent,  which  at 
their  discovery  were  expected  to  be  productive  and 
profitable,  have  not,  upon  further  experiment,  prov- 
ed equal  to  the  first  expectation. 

The  upper  districts  of  the  province  are  still  sup- 
plied with  the  valuable  and  necessary  article  of 


UPPER  CANADA.  147 

salt,  chiefly  from  the  salt  works  at   Onondago  in 
the  state  of  New  York. 


SKETCH  X. 


SOIL,  STONES,  MINERALS,  &c. 

Component  Parts  of  the  Soil — Limestone — Free- 
stone— Soapstone —  Gypsum — Marl — Clay  — 
WJiiting—Iron  Ore— Black  Lead—Yellow  Ochre. 

UPPER  CANADA  is  the  most  fertile  British  pro- 
vince in  America.  It  contains  a  variety  of  soils, 
but  that  which  predominates  is  composed  of  brown 
clay  and  loam,  with  a  small  portion  of  marl  inter- 
mixed. This  compound  species  of  soil,  in  various 
proportions  of  the  component  parts,  prevails  in  the 
Eastern,  Johnstown,  Midland,  and  Niagara  districts, 
not  however  without  some  exceptions.  Around 
the  bay  of  Quinte  it  is  more  clayey,  especially 
near  the  lake  shore,  where  it  resembles  the  soil  of 
the  country  about  Lancaster,  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
is  rich  and  productive. 

Throughout  these  districts,  generally,  it  rests  on 
a  bed  of  limestone,  which  lies  in  horizontal  strata, 
a  few  feet  beneath  the  surface,  and  in  some  places 
rises  to  the  surface  of  the  ground.  In  colour  this 
stone  is  of  different  shades  of  blue,  interspersed 
with  grains  of  white  quartz.  It  is  used  for  build- 
ing, and  is  manufactured  into  excellent  lime  by  an 


148  SKETCHES    OF 

easy  process  of  calcination.     It  also  enriches  and 
invigorates  the  soil. 

The  limestone  of  Niagara  district  differs  from  the 
rest  both  in  colour  and  quality,  being  grey,  and  not 
so  easily  calcined  into  lime. 

The  front  of  Newcastle  district  is  of  a  rich  black 
soil.  At  some  distance  back,  towards  the  Rice 
lake,  there  is  a  sandy  plain. 

A  number  of  townships  in  the  East  Riding  of 
York,  and  the  land  on  the  Ouse,  or  Grand  river,  and 
the  Thames,  resemble  the  front  of  Newcastle  in 
respect  to  soil. 

At  York,  and  thence  through  Yonge  street,  the 
soil  is  fertile,  but  stones  are  so  scarce  that  there  is 
a  want  of  them  for  common  uses.  There  is  like- 
wise a  scarcity  of  stones  in  several  townships  bor- 
dering upon  lakes  Erie  and  Sinclair,  and  the  De- 
troit. 

Barton,  Ancaster,  and  other  places  around  the 
head  of  lake  Ontario,  are  of  a  light  sandy  soil.  So 
is  a  considerable  tract  near  the  shore  of  lake  Erie. 

Notwithstanding  the  predominance  of  calcareous 
stones,  there  are  other  kinds,  as  granite  and  sand- 
stone; but  not  in  so  large  quantities,  except  in  the 
north  western  regions,  where  Mr.  M*Kenzie  says 
granite  abounds. 

In  the  Indian  land,  opposite  to  the  Delaware 
township,  on  the  river  Thames,  there  is  a  quarry 
of  soft  freestone,  of  a  dark  colour,  very  useful  for 
building.  It  extends  a  quarter  of  a  mile  on  the 
bank  of  the  river  The  Indians  hew  it  out  in 
long  blocks,  with  their  axes.  It  will  not  endure 
the  heat  of  fire. 


UPPER    CANADA.  149 

Near  the  Gananoqui  lake,  there  is  found  a  soft 
stone,  of  a  smooth  oily  surface.  It  is  called  soap- 
stone,  and  is  useful  for  ink-stands,  and  various 
other  utensils. 

Gypsum  is  obtained  in  large  quantities  in  Wilson's 
township  (now  Dumfries)  on  the  Grand  river, 
north  of  Dundas  street.  A  gentleman  accus- 
tomed to  the  use  of  that  of  New  Brunswick,  has 
-examined  and  used  this,  and  pronounces  it  to  be 
equally  good  for  purposes  of  manufacture  or  ma- 
nure. In  a  new  country,  manures  are  less  needed, 
and  therefore  less  valued,  than  in  districts  of  old 
worn-out  land.  But  plaster  will  probably  be  an 
article  of  value  even  here,  as  it  has  long  been  in 
places  of  similar  soil  in  Pennsylvania,  and  has 
begun  to  be  in  the  western  parts  of  the  state  of 
New  York. 

Marl  abounds  more  or  less  in  every  district  of 
the  province.  It  is  of  different  colours  in  differ- 
ent places.  That  of  Wood  house  and  Charlotteville, 
near  Long  Point,  is  of  a  bluish  or  lead  colour. 

Clay,  proper  for  brick,  is  frequent ;  and  some  of 
it  is  of  a  quality  suitable  for  potter's  ware.  There 
is  a  large  mass  of  that  description  in  a  marsh  in 
Ernest  town.  It  is  blue,  and  unmixed  with  other 
substances. 

Pipe-clay  of  a  good  quality  is  found  at  Burling- 
ton Heights. 

In  the  township  of  Rodney,  there  is  a  bed  of 
that  species  of  fine  calcareous  earth  which  is 
known  in  commerce  by  the  name  of  whiting,  or 
Spanish  white,  and  which  is  used  in  painting,  and 
for  putty,  and  in  the  manufacture  of  fine  wares. 


150  SKETCHES  OF 

Brick  buildings,  however,  have  not  become  com- 
mon ;  and  but  little  potter's  ware,  coarse  or  fine, 
is  manufactured  in  the  country. 

There  is  a  plenty  of  iron  ore  in  some  places,  par- 
ticularly in  Charlotteville,  about,  eight  miles  from 
lake  Erie.  It  is  of  that  description  which  is  de- 
nominated shot  ore,  a  medium  between  what  is 
called  mountain  ore  and  bog  ore.  The  iron  made 
of  it  is  of  a  superior  quality. 

Black  lead  is  found  6n  the  shores  of  the  Ga- 
nanoqui  lake,  and  in  some  other  places,  chiefly  in 
the  Eastern  Section  of  the  province. 

Yellow  ochre  also  is  dug  up  in  Gananoqui,  and 
in  the  township  of  Ernest  town. 


SKETCH  XI. 


PRODUCTIONS,    NATURAL    AND    CUL- 
TIVATED. 

Forest  Trees  and  Shrubs — Fruit  Trees — Medicinal 

Moots — Grasses Grains — Flax  and  Hemp — 

Garden  Vegetables  and  Roots —  Canadian  Thistle. 

I  SHALL  not  attempt  a  classification  or  botanical 
description  of  the  trees,  shrubs,  and  plants  of 
Upper  Canada. 

In  1784,  the  whole  country  was  one  continued 
forest.  Some  plains  on  the  borders  of  lake  Erie,  at 
the  head  of  lake  Ontario,  and  in  a  few  other  places, 
•were  thinly  wooded:  but,  in  general,  the  land  in 


UPPER   CANADA.  151 

its  natural  state  was  heavily  loaded  with  trees; 
and  after  the  clearings  of  more  than  30  years,  many 
wide  spread  forests  still  defy  the  settler's  axe. 

The  forest  trees  most  common  are,  beech, 
maple,  birch,  elm,  bass,  ash,  oak,  pine,  hickory, 
butternut,  balsam,  hazel,  hemlock,  cherry,  cedar, 
cypress,  fir,  poplar,  sycamore  (vulgarly  called  button 
wood,  from  its  balls  resembling  buttons),whitewood, 
willow,  spruce.  Of  several  of  these  kinds  there 
are  various  species ;  and  there  are  other  tress  less 
common.  Chestnut,  black  walnut,  and  sassafras, 
although  frequent  at  the  head  of  lake  Ontario,  and 
thence  westward  and  southward,  are  scarcely  to  be 
seen  on  the  north  side  of  that  lake  and  the  St. 
Lawrence.  Near  the  line  between  Kingston  and 
Ernest  town,  a  black  walnut  has  been  planted,  and 
flourishes,  and  bears  nuts. 

The  sumach,  whose  leaves  and  berries  are  used 
for  a  black  dye  by  the  curriers  here,  and  by  the 
dyers  of  Manchester,  and  other  manufacturing 
towns  in  England,  grows  plentifully  in  all  parts  of 
the  country. 

Elder,  wild  cherries,  plums,  thorns,  gooseberries, 
blackberries,  rasberries,  grapes,  and  many  other 
bushes,  shrubs,  and  vines,  abound.  Whortleber- 
ries and  cranberries  (both  the  tall  and  the  low  or 
viny)  grow  in  some  places,  but  not  generally 
through  the  province. 

The  sugar  maple  is  common  in  every  district. 
Its  sap,  which  is  extracted  in  the  spring,  and  from 
which  molasses  and  sugar  are  made,  is  useful  to  the 
inhabitants  in  the  early  stages  of  their  settlement; 


152  SKETCHES  OP 

and  might  be  rendered  of  more  extensive  and  per- 
manent use,  by  proper  attention  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  trees,  the  manner  of  tapping  them,  and 
some  practical  improvements  in  the  process  of  re- 
ducing the  sap  to  sugar.  The  wood,  also,  being 
beautifully  veined  and  curled,  is  valuable  for  cabi- 
net work. 

The  butternut  tree  is  useful  for  various  pur- 
poses. The  kernel  of  its  nut  is  nutritious  and 
agreeable  to  the  taste.  If  gathered  when  young 
and  tender,  about  the  first  of  July,  the  nut  makes 
an  excellent  pickle.  The  bark  dyes  a  durable 
brown  colour ;  and  an  extract  from  it  is  a  mild  and 
safe  cathartic. 

A  healthy  beer  is  made  of  the  essence  of  spruce, 
and  also  of  a  decoction  of  its  boughs. 

The  juniper  is  an  evergreen,  the  berries  of  which 
are  used  here,  as  in  Holland,  in  the  manufacture  of 
gin,  and  give  to  that  liquor  its  diuretic  quality. 

The  prickly  ash  is  considered  to  possess  medical 
virtues.  A  decoction  of  its  berries,  bark,  or  roots, 
is  taken  for  rheumatic  complaints. 

Red  cedar,  being  the  most  durable  of  all  known 
woods,  when  exposed  to  the  weather,  is  highly 
valued  for  fence  posts  and  other  similar  uses.  It  is 
also  a  beautiful  material  for  cabinet  work. 

For  a  number  of  years  past,  large  quantities  of 
oak  and  pine  timber  have  been  annually  cut  on  the 
banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  lake  Ontario,  and 
its  bays  and  creeks,  and  floated  drwn  on  rafts  to 
the  Montreal  and  Quebec  markets,  for  foreign  ex- 
portation. 


UPPER  CANADA.  15$ 

The  principal  fruit  of  Upper  Canada  is  the  apple. 
The  various  species  of  this  most  useful  of  fruits 
grow  in  all  the  districts;  but  most  plentifully 
around  Niagara,  and  thence  westward  to  the  De- 
troit, where  they  have  been  cultivated  with  emu- 
lation and  success.  No  country  in  the  world  ex- 
ceeds those  parts  of  the  province  in  this  particular. 
In  the  north  eastern  townships,  orcharding  has  not 
been  so  much  attended  to,  and  perhaps  the  soil, 
although  good  for  fruit,  is  not  so  peculiarly  adapted 
to  it.  But  there  are  many  considerable  orchards, 
most  of  them  young,  and  some  valuable  nurseries  of 
trees,  not  yet  transplanted.  A  general  taste  for 
apples  and  for  cider,  a  beverage  most  suitable  to 
this  climate,  begins  to  prevail. 

Peaches  flourish  at  Niagara,  and  at  the  head  of 
lake  Ontario  ;  but  not  on  the  northern  shore  of  that 
lake.  Cherries,  plums,  pears,  and  currants,  succeed 
in  every  part  of  the  country.  Strawberries  grow 
freely  in  the  meadow,  and  are  cultivated  with  suc- 
cess in  gardens. 

Sarsaparilla,  spikenard,  gold  thread,  elecampane, 
lobelia,  bloodroot,  and  ginseng,  are  native  plants 
The  latter  root,  when  dried,  has  a  sweetish  taste, 
similar  to  that  of  liquorice,  but  mixed  with  a  de- 
gree of  bitterness,  and  some  aromatic  warmth. 
The  Chinese  esteem  it  very  highly;  and  it  might 
therefore  be  a  valuable  article  of  exportation  to 
China  ;  but  it  seems  to  be  neglected. 

Snake  root  also  is  a  native  of  this  province.  It 
is  of  a  pungent  taste,  and  is  stimulant  and  sudo- 
rific. The  Indians  are  said  to  apply  it  as  a  remedy 


154  SKETCHES  OF 

for  the  bite  of  rattlesnakes,  and  hence  its  name  is 
derived. 

Spearmint,  hyssop,  wormwood,  winter-green, 
water-cresses,  penny-royal,  catnip,  plantain,  bur- 
dock, horehound,  motherwort,  mallows,  and 
many  other  aromatic  and  medicinal  plants  are  in- 
digenous. 

White  clover  springs  up  spontaneously  as  soon 
as  the  ground  is  cleared.  Greensward  also  is  spon- 
taneous. There  are  several  other  native  grasses. 
But  red  clover,  and  most  of  the  useful  species  of 
grass  must  be  sown,  and  then  they  grow  very  well. 
The  most  common  are  Timothy,  herdsgrass,  foul 
meadow,  and  red  clover.  Lucerne  is  cultivated 
in  some  places. 

The  soil,  however,  is  not  so  favourable  to  grass 
as  to  grain. 

Wheat  is  the  staple  of  the  province.  When 
the  land  was  first  opened,  the  crops  of  this  pre- 
cious grain  were  luxuriant.  They  are  still  plen- 
tiful, although  they  become  less  abundant,  as  the 
land  grows  older. 

Wheat,  that  is  sown  as  early  as  the  1st  of  Sep- 
tember, is  found  to  be  less  liable  to  be  winter 
killed,  as  it  is  termed,  than  that  which  is  later 
sown,  the  former  being  more  firmly  rooted  in  the 
ground.  As  this  injury  from  the  frosts  of  winter, 
or  more  commonly  of  spring,  is  one  of  the  princi- 
pal causes  of  a  failure  of  crops,  it  is  an  object  of 
importance  to  the  husbandman  to  seed  his  wheat 
fields  in  good  season.  Some  years  ago,  when  the 
country  was  infested  by  that  destructive  insect, 
3 


UPPER   CANADA.  155 

erroneously  named  the  Hessian  fly,  it  was  dan- 
gerous to  sow  this  grain  early,  because  it  was  then 
more  exposed  to  the  ravages  of  the  insect.  But, 
happily,  that  scourge  of  agriculture  is  no  longer 
felt  here*. 

Other  grains,  such  as  rye,  maize  (here  called 
Indian  corn),  pease,  barley,  oats,  buck-wheat,  &c. 
are  successfully  cultivated.  The  townships  round 
the  bay  of  Quinte,  produce  large  harvests  of  pease, 
and  generally  furnish  supplies  of  that  article  of 
provisions  for  the  troops  of  the  various  garrisons. 

Wild  rice  grows  in  marshes,  and  on  the  margin 
of  lakes.  It  has  even  given  a  name  to  the  Rice 
lake,  a  small  lake  about  25  miles  long,  from  south 
west  to  north  east,  and  four  or  five  miles  wide,  in 
the  district  of  Newcastle,  north  of  Hamilton  and 
Haldimand. 

Wild  fowls  feed  and  fatten  on  this  spontaneous 
grain.  The  Indians  also  gather  it,  by  thrusting 
their  canoes  into  the  midst  of  it,  and  then  beating 
it  into  the  canoes  with  sticks.  They  eat  it  them- 
selves, and  sell  it  to  the  white  inhabitants,  who 
use  it  in  puddings  and  other  modes  of  cookery. 
It  is  rather  larger  than  the  Carolina  rice,  and  its 
shell  is  of  a  dark  brown  colour. 

The  soil  in  all  districts  of  the  province  is  adapted 
to  flax,  and  in  some  of  them  to  hemp.  Legisla- 
tive encouragement  has  been  given  to  the  latter. 
Seed  has  been  purchased  and  distributed  gratis; 
a  bounty  has  been  granted  to  the  growers  of  it,  in 

*  This  paragraph  was  written  in  1811,  since  which  time  the 
insect  has  reappeared,  and  almost  destroyed  many  fields  of  wheat. 


156  SKETCHES   OF 

addition  to  the  price  they  could  obtain  for  it  in  the 
market ;  and  at  last  a  liberal  price,  above  that  of 
the  market,  has  been  paid  by  government,  for  the 
purchase  of  the  hemp,  on  public  account. 

The  gardens  produce,  in  abundance,  melons, 
cucumbers,  squashes,  and  all  the  esculent  vegeta- 
bles and  roots,  that  are  planted  in  them.  The 
potatoe,  that  most  valuable  of  all  roots,  for  the  use 
both  of  man  and  beast,  finds  a  congenial  and  pro- 
ductive soil. 

The  country  is  not  free  from  noxious  weeds. 
Among  others  there  are  two  species  of  thistles; 
one  of  them  indigenous,  which  is  prevalent  in  the 
United  States  also  ;  the  other,  not  a  native  of  this 
province,  but  brought  up  from  Lower  Canada, 
among  seed  oats  and  pease,  or  some  other  grain. 
It  has  already  spread  very  generally,  except  in  the 
western  districts.  It  has,  likewise,  passed  from 
Canada  into  the  United  States,  where  it  has  re- 
ceived the  name  of  the  Canadian  thistle,  and  is 
now  known  by  that  name  even  here.  It  is  of  a 
smaller  leaf  and  stalk  than  the  common  thistle, 
and  is  not  so  easily  eradicated.  It  is  very  trouble- 
some, especially  in  grain ;  but  grass  overpowers  it, 
and  gradually  roots  it  out*. 

An  English  gentleman  of  science,  who  has  re- 
sided here  twenty  years,  is  of  opinion  that  it  is  the 
proper  thistle  of  Europe,  brought  over  in  seed  from 
France,  first  into  Lower  Canada,  and  thence  into 
the  Upper  Province. 

*  It  is  our  common  running  thistle.  No  doubt  imported  from 
Europe. R.  G. 


UPPER  CANADA.  157 

SKETCH  XII. 

ANIMALS  OF  THE  FOREST. 

Bison— Buffalo — Elk — Moose — Wolf — Bear— 
Wolverene —  Wild  Cat —  Catamount — Deer — * 
Antelope—Fox — Otter— Beaver— Muskrat—  Mink 
— Fisher—  Marten—  Racoon—  Porcupine—  Wood- 
chuck  — Skun  k —  Weasel — Ermine — Hare 

Squirrel — Rat — Mouse. 

SEVERAL  species  of  the  animals  of  this  country 
having  been  confounded,  and  others  erroneously 
or  imperfectly  described,  a  more  speci fie  description 
of  them  is,  for  that  reason,  necessary. 

The  Bison  is  an  animal  of  the  western  regions, 
scarcely  known  in  the  inhabited  districts.  He  is 
of  the  cow  kind,  cloven-hoofed,  ruminating,  gre- 
garious and  very  large,  weighing,  in  some  instances, 
two  thousand  pounds,  shy  and  fearful  of  man,  un- 
less wounded,  when  he  turns  upon  his  hunters 
and  becomes  dangerous.  His  colour  is  brown. 
He  has  two  short,  black,  round  horns,  with  a  wide 
space  between  their  bases.  His  shoulders  are  ele- 
vated, and  the  depth  from  the  withers  to  the  bris- 
ket is  proportionally  great.  He  tapers  away  be- 
hind to  a  comparatively  diminutive  size.  His  tail 
is  about  a  foot  long,  and  naked,  except  a  tuft  at 
the  end ;  his  legs  short  and  thick  ;  his  neck,  fore- 
head, chin,  and  dewlap,  covered  with  long  flocks 
of  woolly  hair ;  and,  in  the  winter,  the  hair  on  his 


158  SKETCHES    OF 

body  is  long   and    shaggy,    although  shorter  and 
more  smooth  in  summer. 

The  Buffalo,  an  animal  of  the  same  genus,  but 
of  a  different  species,  is  more  common.  In  shape 
he  more  resembles  an  ox.  He  has  two  short, 
rounded  horns.  His  hoofs  are  cloven,  and  he  ru- 
minates. His  colour  is  a  brown,  but  darker  than 
that  of  the  bison  ;  his  limbs  clumsy,  and  his  gait 
heavy.  His  skin  forms  very  strong,  durable,  soft 
leather,  and  when  dressed  with  the  hair  on,  it  is 
still  more  valuable  as  a  coverlid  or  wrapper  for 
persons  riding  in  sleighs.  The  flesh  is  good  meat. 

The  Elk  is  the  largest  species  of  the  deer  kind. 
He  is  very  distinct  from  the  moose,  although  they 
have  been  confounded  by  European  writers.  His 
neck  is  longer  than  that  of  the  moose,  and  his  head 
more  similar  to  that  of  the  horse  or  common  deer. 
The  horns  are  not  palmated  like  those  of  a  moose, 
but  consist  of  three  divisions  ;  1st,  The  brow  ant- 
lers ;  2d,  The  two  middle  prongs,  called  the 
fighting  horns  ;  and,  3d,  The  horns  properly  so 
called.  He  sheds  his  horns  annually.  A  pith, 
about  four  inches  in  length,  is  left,  whicb  is  soon 
protected  by  a  cover  resembling  velvet.  In  eight 
weeks  the  horns  begin  to  grow  again,  and  soon 
acquire  their  proper  size.  An  Upper  Canada  elk, 
that  had  not  attained  his  full  growth,  was  measured 
as  follows : 

Feet.  Inches. 

Distance  between  the  roots  of  his  horns,  0     4 
Brow  antlers         -  •«:- ,         -  16 

Fighting  horns  ,j-   .  16 

Longest  horn       -  '          -  "•'*         3     0 


UPPER   CANADA.  159 

From  the  tip  of  one  horn  to  the  other      2     6 
Length  from  the  top  of  the  nose  to  the 

tail  along  the  back         -  -  73 

Height  *    7 

Round  the  girth  or  belly  -  56 

the  withers         ;J'«M         -  4  10 

Length  of  the  head         •'-  :><         -  1    11 

of  the  tail  0     3 

From  the  extremity  of  one  ear  to  the 

other  -  22 

Length  of  the  ear  0     9 

The  brisket  of  the  elk  resembles  that  of  the  ox. 
His  hoofs  are  very  much  cloven,  and  he  makes  a 
clattering  with  them  as  he  travels,  yet  he  is  fleet. 
The  Moose  also  is  of  the  deer  kind.  He  has 
horns  with  short  beams,  spreading  into  abroad  palm, 
with  sharp  snags  on  the  outward  side,  but  the  inner 
side  plain  ;  has  no  brow  antlers;  small  eyes  ;  long 
ears  ;  large  nostrils;  the  upper  lip  square,  large,  and 
hanging  over  the  lower,  with  a  deep  furrow  in  the 
middle  of  it;  under  the  throat  a  small  excrescence, 
with  a  long  tuft  of  black  hair  depending  from  it : 
his  neck  short,  and  along  the  top  of  it  an  upright, 
short,  thick  mane;  withers  elevated;  tail  short; 
legs  long,  but  the  hind  legs  the  shortest;  his  hoofs 
much  cloven  ;  his  height  from  five  to  seven  feet ; 
the  length  of  his  horns  about  four  feet;  breadth  of 
one  of  the  palms  about  a  foot;  distance  between 
the  tips  of  his  horns  four  or  five  feet;  the  colour  of 
his  mane  light  brown,  overspread  with  grey;  that  of 
his  body  a  dun  colour  mixed  with  dark  red.  His 
hair  is  long  and  elastic,  and  very  suitable  for  mat- 


160  SKETCHES   OP 

tresses.  His  gait  is  a  shambling  trot,  but  he  runs 
with  great  velocity.  He  ruminates  like  the  ox. 
When  he  grazes  he  takes  advantage  of  some  ascent 
of  ground,  on  account  of  the  shortness  of  his  neck. 
His  flesh  is  excellent  food.  The  nose  or  up- 
per lip  is  esteemed  a  delicacy. 

The  Wolf  is  of  the  dog  kind.  His  weight  has 
been  known  to  exceed  90  pounds.  His  dimen- 
sions, according  to  the  measure  of  a  skin,  have 
been  found  as  follows : 

••  Ft.     In. 

Length  of  the  body  -         50 

Circumference  -         29 

Fore  legs                  -  16 

Hind  legs      ^   ,,,*.•}  ,                  13 

Tail  1     6 

His  colour  is  a  dirty  sallow  or  grey,  with  a  black 
list  along  his  back.  His  hair  is  long,  coarse,  and 
hard,  with  a  mixture  of  shorter  and  finer  hair  near 
the  roots,  of  a  dun  ash  colour.  The  skin,  when 
dressed  with  the  hair  on,  has  a  shaggy  inelegant 
appearance,  and  is  valued  accordingly.  He  is  a 
very  voracious  animal,  and  commits  his  depreda- 
tions generally  in  the  night.  The  howling  of 
wolves,  when  they  herd  together,  as  they  some- 
times do,  is  loud  and  terrific.  The  author  of 
Guthrie's  Geographical  Grammar  has  this  extra- 
ordinary passage,  "Wolves  are  scarce  in  Canada, 
but  they  afford  the  finest  furs  in  all  the  country. 
Their  flesh  is  white,  and  good  to  eat;  they  pursue 
their  prey  to  the  tops  of  the  tallest  trees."  Imagi- 
nation could  hardly  invent  four  assertions  more 


UPPER   CANADA.  161 

destitute  of  correctness  than   those,   which  form 
this  description.     In  point  of  numbers,  the  country 
is  almost  overrun  with  them.      No  other  beast  of 
prey  has  been,  or  is  now,  so  much  dreaded,  or  so 
destructive.       From    the   commencement   of  the 
province,  with  the  exception  of  only  one  year,  the 
government  has  granted  a  bounty  for  the  killing  of 
wolves;  and  in  many  settlements,  the  inhabitants 
have,  by  voluntary  subscription,  given  additional 
rewards,  besides  forming  themselves  into  personal 
associations,  for  the  purpose  of  hunting  and  destroy- 
ing  them.     By  such   means   many  of  them  are 
destroyed   in   the   settled    parts   of  the  province. 
The  North  West  Company,  as  the  reader  has  seen 
in  their  list  of  peltries,  collect  3,800  wolf  skins 
annually,    in   the  unsettled  regions  of  the  north 
west.     And  after  all,  these  wild  dogs  are  so  far 
from  being  "scarce,"  that  although  their  depreda- 
tions become  every  year  less,  they  are  still  a  check 
to  the  multiplication  of  sheep,  which  are  folded  in 
the  night  through  the  season,  even  in  some  of  the 
most  populous  townships,  to  secure  them  from  these 
enemies.     The  coarseness  of  their  fur,  or  rather 
shag,  has  been  already  mentioned.     It  is  proverbial. 
Their  flesh  is  not  more  fit  for  food  than  that  of 
domestic  dogs,  nor  can  they  any  more  ascend  the 
tallest  trees  in  pursuit  of  their  prey. 

The  Bear  of  Canada  is  larger  than  that  of  Europe. 
He  has  been  known  to  weigh  more  than  400 
pounds  ;  whereas  the  weight  of  the  European  bear, 
as  stated  by  Buffon,  is  only  153  pounds,  7  ounces. 
His  colour  is  a  dirty  black.  He  feeds  upon  fruit,  ber- 

M 


162  SKETCHES   OF 

ries,  nuts,  corn,  &c.  and  for  want  of  such  vegetable 
food,  devours  domestic  animals,  such  as  sheep, 
calves,  and  pigs.  He  is  capable  of  climbing  trees 
that  are  large  enough  to  fill  his  grasp.  In  the 
winter  he  lies  in  a  torpid  state,  concealed  in  a 
hollow  log,  a  cavern,  or  some  other  place  of 
security.  This  fact,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  and 
unaccounted  for  as  it  is  on  philosophical  principles, 
is  attested  by  too  many  witnesses  to  be  disbelieved. 

The  bear's  skin  dressed  with  the  shag  on,  is  next 
in  use  and  value  to  that  of  the  buffalo.  The  flesh 
also  is  good  meat ;  and  the  Indians  make  great  use 
of  the  fat  or  grease  *. 

The  Wolverene,  sometimes  called  the  Carcajou, 
is  about  two  feet  and  nine  inches  long;  his  cir- 
cumference one  foot  and  ten  inches ;  his  legs  short ; 
feet  large  and  strong ;  tail  about  seven  inches, 
black  and  bushy ;  hair  near  two  inches  long,  and 
very  coarse ;  his  head  sallow  grey  ;  back  almost 
black;  breast  spotted  with  white;  belly  dark 
brown,  and  sides  light  brown.  He  lives  in  holes, 
is  clumsy,  and  slow  in  motion. 

The  Wild  Cat,  or  Canadian  Lynx>  is  of  a  grey 
colour,  brindled  and  spotted  with  black,  and  re- 
sembles an  overgrown  cat,  except  that  the  tail  is 
short,  in  which  respect  he  differs  from  the  wild  cat 
of  Europe,  and  appears  to  be  of  the  lynx  kind. 
He  preys  upon  deer  and  domestic  animals. 

The  Catamount^  or  Tiger  Cat,  sometimes  impro- 

*  I  have  been  told  that  there  are  two  kinds  of  bears  in  Canada, 
the  long  and  short  legged. — R.  6. 


UPPER  CANADA.  163 

perly  named  the  Panther,  is  of  the  cat  kind,  very 
distinct  from  the  wild  cat,  although  there  has  been 
a  confusion  in  the  description  of  them.  He  is 
about  five  feet  long,  and  two  in  circumference,  with 
a  tail  half  as  long  as  his  body,  and  his  legs  about  a 
foot  in  length.  His  colour  is  a  reddish  brown, 
with  black  spots,  and  a  stripe  along  his  back.  His 
prey  is  cattle  and  deer.  He  is  fierce  and  dangerous 
to  hunters.  His  usual  mode  of  attack  is  by  leap- 
ing from  a  tree. 

The  forests  of  Upper  Canada  abound  with  the 
common  Deer,  a  beautiful  and  valuable  animal. 
His  flesh,  well  known  by  the  name  of  venison,  is 
delicate,  and  his  skin  of  great  value.  His  weight 
sometimes  amounts  to  near  three  hundred  pounds. 
One  of  common  size  weighs  from  a  hundred  to  two 
hundred  pounds.  In  the  spring  he  sheds  his  hair, 
and  appears  of  a  light  red.  His  colour  gradually 
grows  less  bright,  until  autumn,  when  it  becomes 
a  pale  brown,  and  continues  so  through  the  winter, 
and  until  he  sheds  his  coat  of  hair  again  in  the 
spring.  His  horns  are  slender,  round,  and  curved, 
with  branches  on  the  anterior  side.  These  branches 
do  not  shoot  until  the  second  season,  from  which 
period  a  new  one  is  added  every  year,  by  which 
the  hunters  compute  his  age.  The  horns  are  an- 
nually cast,  and  grow  anew  in  the  course  of  the 
season,  to  the  length  of  perhaps  two  feet,  and  the 
weight  of  from  two  to  four  pounds.  He  leaps 
with  great  agility  over  fences  and  streams.  The 
fawns  are  red,  and  beautifully  spotted.  They  are 
gentle  in  their  nature,  and  easily  domesticated. 
M  2 


164  SKETCHES    OP 

Hunters,  in  the  western  parts  of  the  province, 
have  in  a  few  instances  met  with  the  Antelope,  a 
species  of  wild  goat;  a  fleet,  quick  scented,  timid 
animal,  not  easily  killed  or  taken.  That  cunning, 
voracious  animal,  the  Fox,  is  found  here  of  three 
species,  or  colours,  red  (or  brown),  grey,  and  black. 
The  former  is  the  most  common.  People  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  province  speak  of  another 
species,  called  the  cross  fox,  distinguishable  from 
the  common  fox,  only  by  a  stripe  of  black  along 
his  back,  crossed  by  another  black  stripe  over  his 
shoulders.  I  have  never  seen  one,  nor  been  able  to 
obtain  very  particular  information  on  the  subject. 

The  Otter  has  been  described  as  an  amphibious 
animal,  but  is  not  properly  of  that,  description  ; 
for,  though  he  is  fitted  with  membraneous  feet  for 
swimming,  as  well  as  running,  he  cannot  live 
without  the  respiration  of  open  air.  He  is  from 
four  to  five  feet  in  length,  with  short  legs,  and  is 
strong,  fierce,  and  voracious.  His  colour  is  black, 
shaded  with  grey  under  the  neck,  breast,  and  belly ; 
and  his  fur  is  much  esteemed. 

The  Beaver  is  amphibious.  Of  this  ingenious 
and  industrious  creature,  hunters  and  travellers,  in 
the  early  period  of  settlements  in  this  country, 
related  some  marvellous  things,  which  are  now 
discredited.  His  length  is  from  two  and  a  half 
to  three  feet.  His  tail  is  oval,  scaly,  and  destitute 
of  hair,  and  nearly  a  foot  long.  His  hair  is  very 
fine,  smooth,  glossy,  and  of  a  chesnut  colour,  ap- 
proaching to  a  black.  His  fore  teeth  are  sharp 
and  strong,  adapted  to  the  purpose  of  gnawing 


UPPER   CANADA.  165 

wood.  He  feeds  on  leaves  and  the  bark  of  trees ; 
and  when  eating,  sits  upright,  and  applies  the  food 
to  his  mouth  with  his  paws,  like  a  squirrel.  He 
moves  slowly  on  land,  but  more  easily  in  the  water. 
Beavers  associate  in  families  or  communities,  and 
unite  in  felling  trees,  building  darns,  and  accommo- 
dating themselves  with  houses  adapted  to  their 
nature  and  habits.  Many  of  these  dams  remain  in 
the  settled  districts,  but  the  beavers  have  generally 
retired  into  the  wilderness,  where  they  are  still 
caught  in  great  numbers,  and  their  fur  is  in  the 
highest  estimation  all  over  the  habitable  world. 
According  to  the  returns  of  the  North  West 
Company,  they  have  collected  more  than  a  hun- 
dred thousand  beaver  skins  in  a  year. 

The  MuskRat,ov  Musquash,  is  of  the  amphibious 
tribe,  about  fifteen  inches  in  length,  his  back  of  a 
dark  colour,  his  sides  brown,  his  hair  short,  and 
his  tail  about  a  foot  long. 

The  Mink  also  is  a  small  amphibious  animal,  of 
smooth  shining  fur,  proverbially  black,  with  a 
round  tail,  flattened  towards  the  end,  and  destitute 
of  hair. 

The  Fisher,  sometimes  called  the  Black  Fox,  an 
animal  about  two  feet  long,  black,  except  his  neck 
and  head,  which  are  grey,  is  caught  for  his  fur. 

The  Martin,  a  small  animal  of  a  long  body,  with 
short  legs,  is  highly  valued  for  his  fur,  which  is 
generally  brown,  shaded  with  a  darker  colour.  Of 
this  species  there  are  two  varieties,  the  yellow 
breasted,  and  the  white  breasted.  The  former  is 
most  valued,  being  the  largest  and  of  the  darkest 


166  SKETCHES   OF 

colour.  The  North  West  Company  have  pro- 
cured more  than  thirty  thousand  martin  skins  in  a 
year. 

The  Racoon^  in  his  body,  resembles  a  beaver, 
but  is  not  so  large ;  his  head  and  teeth  are  similar 
to  those  of  a  dog :  his  fur  is  thick,  long,  and  soft, 
of  a  brown  colour,  with  black  at  the  ends  of  the 
hairs;  his  tail  long  and  round,  with  annular  stripes 
on  it,  like  a  cat's  tail ;  and  his  claws  so  sharp,  that 
they  enable  him  to  ascend  trees,  and  run  out  on 
their  boughs.  He  feeds  on  fruit,  nuts,  and  corn, 
and  his  flesh  is  tolerable  meat. 

The  Woodchuck,  or  Ground  Hog,  as  he  is  some- 
times called,  from  his  burrowing  in  the  ground,  is 
a  short,  thick  animal,  about  fifteen  inches  in  length. 
His  fore  feet  are  broad,  and  fitted  for  digging.  His 
fur  is  of  a  reddish  grey  colour,  and  his  flesh  is 
eatable.  He  lies  in  a  torpid  state  through  the 
winter. 

The  Canadian  Porcupine  is  about  two  feet  long, 
and  fifteen  inches  in  height,  covered  with  long 
brown  hair,  intermixed  on  the  back,  sides,  and  tail, 
with  stiff  spines  or  quills  of  a  white  colour,  tipped 
with  black,  about  four  inches  long,  as  thick  in  the 
middle  as  a  wheat  straw,  but  smaller  at  the  roots, 
and  tapering  to  a  sharp  point  at  the  ends.  His  legs 
are  short,  and  his  claws  so  sharp  that  he  can  climb 
trees,  which  he  does  for  security,  and  also  to  eat 
the  bark  and  balsam  of  the  fir.  When  attacked, 
and  unable  to  reach  a  tree,  he  turns  his  nose  down, 
and  coils  himself  together  so  as  to  present  only  the 
quilly  part  of  his  body  to  the  assailant.  The 


UPPER    CANADA.  167 

quills  are  easily  loosened  and  scattered  around ; 
but  the  vulgar  notion  that  he  shoots  them  is  un- 
founded. They  have  a  sort  of  barb,  which  renders 
them  difficult  to  be  extracted,  when  they  have  pe- 
netrated the  body  of  any  animal.  The  Indians 
make  use  of  the  quills  for  ornaments  ;  and  the 
flesh  is  an  agreeable  and  wholesome  meat. 

The  Skunk  is  of  the  same  genus  with  the  pole 
cat,  but  of  a  different  and  smaller  species.  His 
weight  is  six  or  seven  pounds,  his  hair  long  and 
white,  with  long  spots  or  stripes  of  black  on  the 
sides;  his  tail  bushy,  like  that  of  the  fox.  He 
lives  in  the  woods  and  hedges,  but  often  burrows 
under  bams  and  out  houses.  While  undisturbed, 
he  emits  no  disagreeable  odour  or  effluvium,  and 
may  remain  a  long  time  under  the  floor  of  a  stable, 
for  instance,  without  being  perceived  ;  but  whea 
assailed  or  pursued,  he  ejects,  by  way  of  defence, 
a  subtle  penetrating  fluid,  of  a  musky  but  intoler- 
able scent,  which  infects  the  air  for  a  considerable 
distance  round,  and  repels  a  dog,  or  any  other  pur- 
suing enemy.  If  a  drop  of  it  lights  upon  a  person's 
clothes  it  is  grievously  offensive,  and  extremely 
difficult  to  be  expunged.  Notwithstanding  the 
opinion  which  once  prevailed,  it  is  ascertained  by 
anatomical  dissection,  that  this  fluid  is  altogether 
distinct  from  the  urine.  It  is  contained  in  bags 
situated  in  the  posterior  part  of  the  body,  and  sur- 
rounded by  circular  muscles,  in  such  a  manner, 
that,  by  their  constriction,  it  is  forced  out  with 
great  velocity  and  violence. 

The  Weasel  is  a  small,  slim,  quick-sighted  ani- 


168  SKETCHES   OF 

mal,  not  more  than  six  or  seven  inches  in  length, 
weighing  less  than  a  pound,  of  a  whitish  colour,  with 
some  pale  yellow  on  the  back,  destructive  to  poul- 
try, and  equally  so  to  squirrels,  mice,  &c. 

The  Ermine,  or  White  Weasel,  is  a  rare,  beau- 
tiful animal,  rather  larger  than  the  common  weasel, 
of  a  clear  white,  with  a  tip  of  black  on  the  tail, 
and  of  a  very  fine  delicate  fur.  He  is  so  seldom 
found,  that  his  habits  are  but  little  known. 

The  Canadian  Hare  is  white  in  winter,  and  of 
a  brown  or  dun  colour  in  summer,  valuable  for  the 
flesh  as  well  as  the  fur*. 

There  are  four  species  of  Squirrels.  The  grey 
and  black  are  the  largest ;  the  striped  is  the  smallest; 
and  the  red  squirrel  is  of  an  intermediate  size. 
Although,  for  the  sake  of  distinction,  he  is  deno- 
minated red,  his  colour  is  rather  a  reddish  grey  on 
the  back  and  sides,  and  his  belly  is  white. 

The  Flying  Squirrel  has  been  seen  here,  but  is 
rare.  This  singular  creature  is  about  six  inches 
long,  of  a  russet  grey  on  the  back,  and  white  on 
the  under  parts,  and  has  a  sort  of  wings  composed 
of  the  skin  or  membrane  extended  between  his  fore 
and  hind  legs  ;  by  means  of  which  he  buoys  him- 
self up  in  the  air,  and,  with  a  leap,  sails  to  a  con- 
siderable distance,  as  from  tree  to  tree,  or  from  one 
bough  to  another  of  the  same  tree. 


*  In  summer  its  breast  and  belly  remain  white.  In  size,  it  is 
smaller  than  the  English  hare,  and  larger  than  the  rabbit;  indeed, 
it  looks  much  like  a  mongrel  between  these  species.  They  are 
very  seldom  seen. — R.  G. 

3 


UPPER   CANADA.  169 

That  pest  of  both  house  and  barn,  the  Eat,  was 
not,  until  the  hte  war,  an  inhabitant  of  Upper  Ca- 
nada, except  in  the  eastern  district,  to  which  it 
was  said  he  had  travelled,  or  been  transported  from 
the  Lower  Province.  During  the  war  these  de- 
structive animals  were  brought  iu  packages,  on 
board  boats,  into  various  parts  of  the  province. 

The  Mouse  is  a  common  and  troublesome  little 
enemy,  too  well  known  every  where  to  require  any 
description.  Field  mice  are  more  numerous  here 
than  in  the  United  States,  and  do  more  injury,  es- 
pecially to  fruit  trees,  by  gnawing  off  their  bark 
under  the  snow  in  the  winter.  Orchards  of  con- 
siderable growth  are,  in  this  way,  frequently  de- 
stroyed by  them. 


SKETCH  XIII. 

DOMESTIC  ANIMALS. 
Horse — Ox  and  Cow — Sheep — Swine — Poultry. 

OF  all  the  domestic  animals  the  noblest  is  the 
Horse.  The  horses  of  Upper  Canada  are  of  the 
American,  the  English,  and  Canadian  French 
stocks.  The  first  are  the  predominant  species. 
The  last  are  generally  short,  thick,  and  dull,  not 
adapted  to  the  saddle,  but  hardy  and  serviceable 
as  drudges  in  the  collar  on  a  farm.  They  were 
never  very  numerous  in  this  province,  compared 


170  SKETCHES  OF 

with  Lower  Canada,  and  their  proportion  is  di- 
minished. There  are  few  full  blooded  English 
horses ;  but  considerable  portions  of  English  as 
well  as  French  blood  are  intermixed  with  the  Ame- 
rican breed. 

The  horses  of  the  country  have  been  improved 
in  their  appearance,  and  a  taste  for  further  improve- 
ment is  gaining  ground  ;  although  the  unfinished 
state  of  the  roads,  and  the  moderate  circumstances 
and  simple  manners  of  the  inhabitants,  have  pre- 
cluded that  passion  for  equipage  and  elegant  horses, 
which  prevails  in  more  populous  and  luxurious 
places. 

I  am  not  singular  in  the  opinion  that  the  farmers 
keep  too  many  horses,  in  proportion  to  their  oxen, 
considering  the  difference  in  their  expences,  the 
greater  liability  of  the  former  to  diseases  and  acci- 
dents, and  the  value  of  the  latter  for  beef.  The 
assessment  lists  for  1810  contained  9982,  almost 
10,000  horses,  three  years  old,  and  upwards,  and  but 
5991  oxen,  four  years  old,  and  upwards. 

The  oxen,  however,  are  of  a  good  stock,  and  so 
are  the  cows ;  but  large  dairies  are  not  frequent, 
although  there  were,  in  1810,  according  to  the  as- 
sessment returns,  18,445  cows  in  the  province. 

Sheep  would  be  more  numerous  were  they  not 
exposed  to  the  ravages  of  wolves.  As  the  country 
becomes  more  settled,  that  evil  decreases.  The 
spirit  lately  diffused  through  the  United  States  for 
improving  the  breed  of  sheep,  with  a  view  to  the 
quality  of  their  wool  for  domestic  manufactures, 
has  already  begun  to  find  its  way  into  this  province. 


UPPER   CANADA.  171 

Lord  Selkirk's  sheep  are  a  mixture  of  several  valu- 
able European  stocks.  His  wool  is  not  manufac- 
tured in  the  province,  but  exported  to  Scotland. 

The  Canadian  hogs  are  of  a  good  size  and  quality. 
In  fattening  them  the  inhabitants  make  considerable 
use  of  pease,  which  are  produced  in  greater  plenty 
than  Indian  corn.  When  the  market  for  grain  is 
high,  pork  cannot  be  afforded  for  exportation. 

The  poultry  of  the  country  consists  of  turkeys, 
.geese,  hens,  ducks,  and  pigeons. 


SKETCH  XIV. 

BIRDS. 

General  List  of  Birds — Wild   Turkeys — Geese 

Ducks  —  Canadian  Partridge  —  Quail —  Robin— 
Loon—  Whipperwill— Mocking  Bird — Sawyer— 
Swan— Cuckoo — Annual  Migration  of  Birds. 

A  GENERAL  list  of  the  native  Birds  of  Upper  Ca- 
nada, not  technically  classed  or  described,  but  enu- 
merated by  their  popular  names,  in  the  common 
language  of  the  country,  is  as  follows:  the  tur- 
key, goose,  swan,  duck,  brant,  water  hen,  partridge, 
quail,  pigeon,  robin,  eagle,  hawk,  raven,  crow,  vul- 
ture, owl,  whipperwill,  bat,  barn  swallow,  chimney 
swallow,  martin,  lark,  heron,  pelican,  loon,  gull, 
snipe,  pluver,  diver,  kingfisher,  blackbird,  bluebird, 
blue  jay,  mockingbird,  kingbird,  woodpecker,  wood- 
cock, redbird,  cuckoo,  sawyer,  sparrow,  yellowbird, 


172  SKETCHES   OF 

snowbird,  phebe,  groundbird,  hangbird,  wren,  and 
hummingbird. 

Wild  Turkeys  do  not  frequent  the  bank  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  or  the  north  shore  of  lake  Ontario, 
but  are  numerous*  from  the  head  of  that  lake,  west- 
ward, and  south  ward.  They  differ  very  little  from  do- 
mestic turkeys,  except  that  they  are  generally  larger. 

Wild  Geese  are  migrating  birds,  and  can  hardly 
be  said  to  belong  to  any  particular  region,  unless 
it  be  the  northern  islands  and  shores,  where  they 
lay  their  eggs  and  rear  their  goslings.  In  their 
annual  tours  to  and  from  those  shores  and  islands, 
they  visit  this  country,  and  are  killed  and  taken  in 
considerable  numbers. 

Ducks  of  several  species  are  found  in  plenty  on 
the  margin  of  the  lakes,  creeks,  and  streams. 
Among  other  species  there  is  one  called  the  Wood 
Duck,  from  its  frequenting  the  woods,  and  perching 
and  nesting  on  the  branches  of  trees.  In  shape 
and  size  it  agrees  with  other  ducks;  in  flavour,  its 
flesh  is  superior,  as  it  feeds  less  on  fish.  Its  plu- 
mage is  variegated  and  brilliant. 

The  Partridge  of  Canada  is  the  same  as  in  New 
England,  but  in  Pennsylvania,  is  known  by  the 
name  of  the  Pheasant.  He  is  not  so  large  as  a 
domestic  hen  ;  has  a  crest  on  his  head,  and  a  ruff 
on  each  side  of  the  neck,  varied  with  black  stripes, 
and  raised  or  depressed  at  pleasure;  the  plumage 
in  general  is  brown,  shaded  with  a  ferruginous  co- 
lour, and  marked  with  black  lines  and  bars ;  the 
colour  of  the  under  part  is  light,  striped  with 

*  They  are  now  scarce :  they  weigh  from  16  to  30lbs. — R.  G. 


UPPER   CANADA.  173 

brown ;  the  tail  is  large,  and  when  expanded  re- 
sembles a  fan,  of  an  orange  ground,  delicately 
lined  and  barred  with  black,  and  having  near  the 
end  a  band  of  ash  colour,  another  of  black,  and  a 
white  border;  the  legs  and  feet  are  booted  with 
white  feathers  to  the  toes.  The  female  is  smaller 
than  the  male ;  has  neither  crest  nor  ruff,  and  is 
sometimes  mistaken  for  a  different  species  of  bird. 
The  cock  partridge  has  a  singular  habit  of  drum- 
ming,  as  it  is  termed.  He  stands  on  a  stump  or 
log,  and  begins  to  beat  with  his  wings,  once  in  about 
two  seconds  of  time,  repeating  the  beats  quicker 
and  quicker,  until  they  run  into  one  undistinguish- 
able  sound  continued  for  a  minute  or  two.  It  is 
often  heard  half  a  mile,  and  guides  the  listening 
hunter  to  his  game.  The  flesh  of  the  partridge  is 
white  and  delicate,  but  rather  dry. 

The  Quail  of  Canada  is  known  by  the  same 
name  in  New  England;  but  in  Pennsylvania  is 
named  the  Partridge. 

The  Canadian  Robin  is  the  same  as  that  in 
the  United  States,  but  larger  than  the  English 
robin,  not  so  red  on  the  breast,  and  has  some  black 
feathers  on  the  head  and  tail.  Their  notes  also 
are  different.  The  robin  of  this  country  appears  to 
be  a  species  of  the  English  thrush. 

The  Loon  is  a  water  fowl,  of  a  dark  colour,  with 
some  specks  of  white.  His  feet  are  stiff,  and  not 
adapted  to  travelling  on  land.  He  is  a  diver,  so 
quick  and  vigilant,  that  he  is  not  easily  shot ;  lives 
most  of  the  time  in  the  water,  but  sometimes  flies. 
His  flight  is  generally  low,  frequently  brushing  the 
water.  At  certain  periods,  usually  before  a  storm, 


174  SKETCHES   OF 

he  screams,  in  a  shrill  plaintive  voice,  like  some 
person  in  distress;  and  is  neither  valuable  nor  mis- 
chievous, except  in  feeding  on  fish. 

The  Whipper  Will,  or  Whip-poor- Will,  is  a  bird 
of  the  evening,  seldom  seen  or  heard  at  any  other 
time.  His  colour  is  dark,  with  whitish  stripes; 
his  shape  like  that  of  a  hawk  ;  his  bill  hooked,  and 
his  wings  formed  for  swiftness.  His  appearance  in 
the  spring  was  considered  by  the  Indians  an  in- 
dication of  the  proper  season  for  planting  their  corn. 
He  will  sit  on  some  fence,  log,  or  stone,  near  a 
house,  and  repeat  during  a  whole  warm  evening,  a 
plaintive  sound,  imitating  the  three  syllables  of  the 
word  by  which  he  is  named. 

The  Mocking  Bird,  or  Brown  Thrasher,  a  spe- 
cies of  the  thrush,  imitates  the  notes  of  many 
other  birds  and  some  beasts. 

The  Sawyer,  or  Whetsaw,  is  so  named  from  the 
sound  of  his  voice,  which  resembles  the  whetting 
of  a  saw. 

The  Swan  is  a  rare  bird  ;  but  has  been  seen  and 
killed  on  the  margin  of  lake  Erie. 

The  Heron,  vulgarly  pronounced  Hern,  has  such 
an  affinity  to  the  crane,  that  I  cannot  ascertain  from 
the  information  of  observers,  whether  the  latter 
exists  here  or  not. 

The  Canadian  Cuckoo,  is  not  the  bird  that  bears 
that  appellation  in  England,  but  has  obtained  the 
name  here  from  an  imitation  of  the  sound  of  that 
word. 

Among  a  number  of  Larks  the  proper  Sky  Lark 
is  not  found. 

There  are  various  species  of  Eagles,  Hawks, 


UPPER   CANADA.  175 

Owls,  Woodpeckers,  Blackbirds,  &c.  and  several 
small  birds,  without  appropriate  names.  Most  of 
the  birds  of  this  country  reside  here  in  summer 
only.  In  the  autumn  they  resort  to  warmer  cli- 
mates, spend  the  winter  there,  an4  return  in  the 
spring. 


SKETCH  XV. 


FISHES. 

Sturgeon — Mosquenonge — Lake  Salmon — Salmon 
Trout— Trout —  White  Fish — Pike — Pickerel 
-—Bass— Perch— Cat  Fish— Eel  Pout—Dace— 
Chub— Mullet—  Carp— Sucker— Dog  Fish— Bill 
Fish — Lamprey— Silver  Eel — Herring — Sun  Fish 
— Various  Modes  of  Fishing. 

THE  Sturgeon  is  the  largest  fish  of  the  lakes,  al- 
though not  so  large  as  the  sea  sturgeon  caught  at 
Albany  and  Quebec.  A  more  essential  difference 
is  that  his  back  is  smooth,  whereas  that  of  the  sea 
sturgeon  has  scaly  knobs  or  shells  on  it.  The  lake 
sturgeon  is  a  good  fish  for  eating.  A  large  one 
weighs  from  75  to  100  pounds.  The  fish  glue, 
known  in  the  commercial  world  by  the  name  of 
isinglass,  can  be  produced  from  this  sturgeon,  as 
from  the  inhabitant  of  the  Caspian  sea  and  its  tri- 
butary streams.  I  have  made  the  experiment,  and 
it  succeeded.  The  process  is  easy.  The  proper 
glue  is  the  interior  membrane  or  lining  of  the 

2 


176  SKETCHES   OP 

air  bladder,  from  which  it  is  easily  separated.  It  is 
then  dried  in  the  sun,  and  pressed  into  smoothness 
and  a  convenient  shape,  by  a  weight  placed  on 
it.  The  glue  may  also  be  extracted  from  the  muci- 
laginous parts  of  the  fish.  Shell-backed  sturgeons 
have  been  taken  in  lake  Ontario,  but  they  are  rare. 

The  Mosquenonge  is  a  rare  fish, and  is  esteemed  by 
some  people  the  best  that  is  taken  in  lake  Ontario, 
although  others  prefer  the  salmon,  which  is  more  ge- 
nerally known.  In  shape  and  still  more  in  colour,  the 
mosquenonge  resembles  the  pike,  and  appears  to  be 
of  the  same  genus  ;  but  is  thicker  and  larger  than 
the  common  pike,  being  in  some  instances  about 
four  feet  long  ;  and  weighing  50  or  60  pounds. 

Mr.  M'Kenzie  says,  there  are  in  lake  Superior 
trouts  of  three  kinds.  The  same  are  found  in 
lake  Ontario.  They  are,  however,  only  varieties  of 
the  same  species.  Two  of  them  are  usually  called 
salmon,  and  are  in  high  estimation,  and  very  com- 
mon, especially  on  the  north  side  of  th^e  lake.  The 
largest  species  are  caught  most  plentifully  in  the 
spring,  and  weigh  from  15  to  25  pounds.  In  lake 
Superior,  according  to  Mr.  M'Kenzie,  their  weight 
is  sometimes  50  pounds*.  At  Michilimackinac 
also  they  are  said  to  weigh  50  and  some  even  70 
pounds.  But  in  Erie  and  Ontario  they  are  not  so 
large.  They  resemble  the  salmon  of  the  sea,  and 
may  be  of  the  same  family,  with  the  difference  oc- 
casioned by  their  different  water  and  food.  The 

*  I  have  heard  of  trout  taken  in  lake  Superior,  80  and  90  pound* 
weight.— R.  G. 


UPPER   CANADA.  177 

i 

meat  is  similar  in  colour,  but  not  so  highly  fla- 
voured. I  think  the  proper  name  of  this  fish  is  the 
lake  salmon.  The  next  species  is  more  frequent, 
but  of  a  whiter  meat,  and  smaller  in  size,  weighing 
from  10  to  20  pounds,  and  taken  in  the  greatest 
abundance  in  the  fall.  This  fish  is  like  the  trout  of 
the  brooks,  except  being  larger  and  without  any 
shining  red  spots  on  the  sides.  For  the  sake  of  dis- 
tinction, he  may  with  propriety  be  named  the  sal- 
mon trout.  The  third  is  the  common  brook  trout, 
found  in  the  lakes  and  the  streams  communicating 
with  them,  and  weighing  from  five  pounds  down 
to  one  pound  and  less.  This  delicate,  beautiful  fish, 
loves  clear  water  and  a  gravelly  bottom  ;  and  is 
not  common  in  the  lakes. 

The  White  Fish,  a  species  in  many  respects  re- 
sembling the  shad  of  the  Atlantic  rivers,  but  more 
round  in  shape  and  lighter  in  colour,  and  in  some 
respects  similar  to  the  herring,  abounds  in  the  lakes 
in  different  degrees  of  perfection.  In  lake  Onta- 
rio, the  weight  is  generally  less,  seldom  more  than 
four  pounds  ;  and  the  meat,  although  very  good,  is 
not  so  high  flavoured  as  the  mosquenonge  or  sal- 
mon ;  whereas  Mr.  M'Kenzie  states,  that  it  is  the 
best  in  quality  of  all  the  fishes  of  lake  Superior,  and 
weighs  there  from  four  to  16  pounds.  Vast  shoals 
of  them  are  taken  at  the  foot  of  St.  Marie's  falls. 
They  are  also  caught  in  great  quantities  in  some 
parts  of  lake  Ontario,  particularly  in  Chaumont 
bay,  at  the  south  eastern  angle  01  the  lake,  and  also 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Niagara,  the  south  western 
point.  The  south  shore  of  the  lake  in  general  seems 

N 


178  SKETCHES   OP 

to  he  more  favourable  lo  the  white  fish,  as  the  north 
shore  is  to  the  salmon.  The  white  fish  also 
abounds  in  the  small  lakes,  and  streams  connected 
with  them. 

The  Pike  is  longer  and  more  nearly  round  than 
fishes  generally,  being  from    two   to   four  feet  in 
length,  and  weighing  from  three  to   10  pounds,  in 
lake  Ontario.     In  some  of  the  other  lakes,  he  is 
said  to  be  ot  a  superior  size.  His  head  is  elongated ; 
the  nose  beaked,    the   under    jaw  projecting   be- 
yond the  upper;  the  teeth  sharp;  the  body  scaly; 
the  back  of  a  bottle  green,  the  belly  white,  and  the 
sides  dappled  with  green,  and  a  yellowish  white  ; 
the  tail  torked;  the  dorsal  fin  (of  one  weighing  3f  Ibs.) 
having  18  rays,  the  anal  fin    14,    the  ventral  and 
pectoral  fins  10  rays.     The  meat  is  white  and  good. 
The  pike  is  a  rapid  swimmer,  and  a  ravenous  de- 
vourer  of  smaller  fishes  and  other  animals.     Even 
the   bones  of  a  squirrel's  head  have  been  found  in 
his  stomach,  retaining  their  positions|with  respect 
to  each  other,  but  reduced  to   the  state  of  a  soft 
cartilage  by  the  process  of  digestion. 

The  Pickerel  is  flatter,  deeper,  less  voracious,  and 
about  a  third  shorter  than  the  pike;  of  nearly  the 
same  quality  avnd  colour,  but  not  quite  so  green  on 
the  back,  nor  so  yellow  on  the  sides,  with  some  red 
spots  on  the  tail  ;  has  two  fins  on  the  back  ;  one  of 
them  (in  a  fish  weighing  3|  pounds)  extending 
four  inches  from  a  point  over  the  gill  fins,  and  hav- 
ing 14  sharp  pointed  bony  rays;  the  other  right 
over  the  anal  fin,  with  19  rays ;  the  anal  fin  with  13 
rays  ;  the  ventral  fins  five  broad  rays  ;  and  the  gill 


UPPER   CANADA.  179 

fins  12  rays  each  ;  the  distance  between  the  ventral 
and  gill  fins  about  an  inch. 

The  pike  and  pickerel  are  described  with  this 
particularity,  in  consequence  of  the  indistinctness 
and  confusion,  which  have  prevailed  respecting 
them.  In  some  places  their  names  are  applied 
indiscriminately;  and  in  others  they  are  inter- 
changed, the  former  being  misnamed  the  pickerel, 
and  the  latter  the  pike. 

There  are  three  species  of  lake  Bass;  the  striped, 
sometimes  called  the  white  or  yellow,  the  black, 
and  the  rock  bass.  Although  differing  in  some 
particulars  of  colour  and  magnitude,  they  have  a 
general  resemblance  and  are  numerous  and  excel- 
lent. The  black  bass  is  the  best. 

The  lake  Perch,  when  fully  grown,  weighs  about 
a  pound,  is  a  good  pan  ufish,  very  common  and 
easily  caught. 

The  Cat  Fish  of  the  lakes  is  from  one  to  two  feet 
long  ;  the  head  large  and  round,  with  two  sharp 
horns,  about  two  inches  in  length ;  the  space  be- 
tween the  eyes,  wide ;  the  body  without  scales, 
round  and  tapering  from  the  head  towards  the  tail; 
the  fins  bony  and  sharp  ;  the  colour  a  dark  brown, 
inclining  to  purple,  except  under  the  belly,  which 
is  whitish  ;  the  weight  from  five  to  20  pounds ; 
the  meat  fat  and  of  a  good  flavour. 

The  Eel  Pout  is   singularly  shaped,  the  body 

being  thick  and  the  head  flattened   horizontally, 

having  on  it  prickly  knobs,  but  no  long  thorns  as 

the   cat   fish  has  ;    shovel-nosed  ;   not   scaly ;    in 

N  2 


180  SKETCHES   OF 

colour  resembling  the  cat  fish ;  the  weight  from 
one  to  three  pounds. 

The  Dace  is  larger  in  the  lakes  than  in  brooks. 

The  Lake  Chub  looks  like  the  dace,  but  is  of  a 
better  quality  and  superior  beauty,  being  well  pro- 
portioned, and  of  various  changeable  colours, 
bottle  green,  yellow,  and  white,  with  a  tinge  of  red, 
so  shaded  and  checkered  by  its  scales,  in  the  form 
of  diamonds,  as  to  exhibit  a  beautiful  appearance. 
The  weight  is  from  two  to  four  pounds. 

The  Mullet  is  found  in  the  lakes ;  but  not  in 
great  plenty. 

The  Carp  is  a  Canadian  fish,  of  which  there  are 
said  to  be  two  species  or  varieties  in  lake  Superior. 

There  are  also  two  species  of  Suckers  in  the  lakes ; 
one  of  them  the  same  as  in  the  rivers,  being  about 
15  inches  long;  weighing  from  two  to  three  pounds; 
the  back  of  a  dark  grey,  and  the  belly  white.  It 
is  sometimes  miscalled  the  mullet.  Those  of  the 
other  sort  are  called  red-finned  suckers,  one,  of  which 
is  before  me,  while  writing  this  description.  His 
length  is  two  feet,  weight  seven  pounds  and  three 
quarters;  the  line  of  the  back  from  the  nose  to  the 
tail  very  much  curved ;  the  nostrils  large ;  the  mouth 
circular,  without  teeth,  and  situated  in  the  under 
side  of  the  jaws  ;  the  body  very  scaly  ;  the  colour 
a  mixture  of  light  brown  and  yellow ;  the  belly  and 
lower  fins  tinged  with  red ;  the  dorsal  fin  having 
15  rays,  pectoral  fins  14,  ventral  fins  nine,  and  anal 
fin  six  rays. 

The  Canadian  Dog  Fish  weighs  from  one    to 


UPPER   CANADA.  181 

three  pounds ;  is  scaly ;  the  belly  whitish  ;  back  and 
sides  of  a  dark  colour,  dappled  with  a  still  darker 
shade ;  the  dorsal  fin  extending  from  the  tail  about 
two  thirds  of  the  way  towards  the  head  ;  has  some 
green  on  the  lower  part  of  the  sides,  also  on  the 
tail  fin,  and  the  anal  and  two  ventral  fins,  a  remark- 
able spot  at  the  beginning  of  the  tail  fin,  an  uncom- 
mon pocket  beneath  the  under  jaw,  opening 
towards  the  tail,  and  two  little  cartilages  depend- 
ing from  the  nose.  This  fish  is  not  much  esteemed. 

The  Bill  Fish,  although  not  eatable,  is  entitled 
to  notice  for  the  singularity  of  his  bill  or  beak, 
which  is  about  a  foot  long,  and  set  with  sharp 
teeth.  It  is  a  formidable  weapon  of  attack,  with 
which  he  drives  the  other  fishes  before  him,  and 
appears  to  be  the  tyrant  of  the  lake.  It  is  no  less 
instructive  than  amusing,  to  see  the  smaller  and 
more  defenceless  fry,  with  instinctive  precipitation, 
fleeing  in  all  directions  upon  the  approach  of  a 
bill  fish,  a  cat  fish,  or  a  pike. 

An  English  naturalist,  with  whom  I  have  con- 
versed on  the  subject,  is  confident,  from  his  own 
observations,  that  the  bill  fish  of  the  lakes,  is  a 
species  of  the  European  gar  fish,  notwithstanding 
some  diversity  in  their  descriptions. 

The  Lamprey,  or  Lamper  Eel,  as  it  is  vulgarly 
pronounced,  although  valuable  when  caught  in  the 
waters  oi  the  sea,  is  here  too  flabby  and  insipid 
to  be  eaten. 

The  Silver  Eel  is  round,  and  from  two  to  three 
feet  long;  the  back  of  a  dark  colour,  tinged  with 
green;  the  belly  white,  and  the  sides  of  a  silvery 
appearance,  whence  the  name  is  derived.  It  has 


SKETCHES   Of 

fins,  and  a  continued  fin  or  membrane  along 
the  back  and  belly,  from  about  the  middle  of  the 
body  to  the  tail.  The  skin  is  taken  off  before  it 
is  cooked,  and  it  is  then  delicious  meat. 

There  is  a  lake  Herring.  Whether  it  is  a  variety 
of  the  same  species  with  the  Dutch  herring,  or 
totally  distinct,  I  have  not  had  an  opportunity  to 
ascertain*. 

The  Sun  Fish  is  a  small,  speckled,  common,  good 
pan  fish. 

Various  are  the  modes  of  taking  fish  in  the  lakes. 
Many  are  taken  with  seins,  chiefly  in  the  autumn, 
when  large  quantities  are  pickled  and  put  up  in 
barrels,  or  dried  and  preserved  for  family  use;  some 
are  caught  with  hooks,  at  any  season  of  the  year, 
even  when  the  bays  and  sounds  are  covered  with 
ice,  and  holes  are  cut  in  it  for  the  purpose.  Others 
are  speared.  This  is  frequently  done  in  the  even- 
ing, by  the  light  of  a  lamp  or  torch  affixed  to  the 
bead  of  a  boat  or  barge.  A  favourite  manner  of 
fishing  in  smooth  water,  is  termed  trolling.  Hooks 
are  so  fitted  at  the  end  of  lines  with  flies,  as  to  float 
at  some  distance  from  the  boat,  while  it  moves 
along.  The  fish  coming  up  to  the  top  of  the  water, 
takes  the  hook,  and  is  drawn  in  by  hand.  Fishing, 
in  short,  unites  business  and  amusement. 

*  The  lake  herring  is  considerably  different  from  ours.  It  is 
larger,  softer  in  the  meat,  not  so  well  flavoured,  and  not  so  hard 
in  the  scales.  These  distinctions,  however,  may  have  been  formed 
by  the  different  circumstances  in  which  they  have  been  placed; 
and  I  am  the  more  inclined  to  think  so,  because  the  herring  caught 
below  Quebec,  partake  of  the  same  distinctions  but  in  a  less  de- 
gree. Lake  salmon  differ  from  ours  in  the  same  way.  — R.  G. 


UPPER   CANADA.  183 


SKETCH  XVI 


AMPHIBIOUS  ANIMALS,  REPTILES, 
AND  INSECTS. 

Three  Species  of  the  Fresh  Water  Tortoise — Land 
Crab — Rattlesnakes,  Yellow  and  Black — Double- 
headed  Snakes — Frog — Toad — Tree  Toad — 

Bees. 

SEVERAL  amphibious  animals  have  been  des- 
cribed among  the  inhabitants  of  the  forest.  A  few 
more  will  be  added  in  this  place. 

Seals  have  been  known  to  ascend  the  St.  Law- 
rence above  the  rapids.  They  have  been  seen 
among  the  islands  near  lake  Ontario;  but  such  in- 
stances have  been  rare  and  not  very  recent. 

There  are  in  Upper  Canada  three  species  of  the 
Fresh  Water  Tortoise,  or  what  is  called  mud  turtle. 
None  of  them  is  the  proper  land  tortoise,  they 
being  all  of  them  flatter  in  the  back,  and  different  in 
other  respects.  Nor  is  any  of  them  the  sea  turtle, 
from  which  they  differ  in  many  particulars. 

The  largest  of  these  Canadian  Turtles  is  eaten, 
and,  if  well  cooked,  is  an  excellent  dish.  The 
belly  is  not  entirely  enclosed  in  a  shell ;  but  there 
is  a  narrow  shell,  connected  at  each  end  with  that 
of  the  back,  and  extending  across  the  middle  of  the 
under  side,  with  a  round  shell  or  plate  attached  in 
the  centre  to  this  narrow  cross  bar.  The  upper 


184  SKETCHES    OF 

shell  is  a  hard  bony  substance,  consisting  of  many 
regular  pieces  united  by  sutures,  and  overspread 
with  a  thin  horny  scale,  through  which  the  seams 
of  the  sutures  are  discernible,  giving  the  back  a 
chequered  appearance.     The  length  of  this  back 
shell  is  about  a  toot,  and  its  breadth  eight  inches. 
Its  horizontal  circumference  forms  a  figure  between 
an  ellipsis  and  a  parallelogram.     Its  colour  is  a 
dark  brown,  tinged   with  a   greenish   hue.     The 
under  shell  and  under  parts  of  the  body  are  of  a 
dirty  yellow,  and  the  skin  of  those  under  parts  of 
the  body  is  wrinkled  and  deformed  with   warts. 
The  tail  is  more  than  half  as  long  as  the  back,   of 
the  same  colour,  and  covered  with  a  rough  scaly 
coat.     The  legs  are  strong,  the  feet  broad,  and  fur- 
nished with  claws,  larger  than  those  of  a  cat,  al- 
though  not  so  sharp.     The  neck  is  extended  or 
contracted  at  pleasure,  affording  the  head  consider- 
able scope.     The  want  of  proper  teeth  is  supplied 
by  gums  of  bony  ridges,  with  which  the  animal 
bites   most   grievously.     The  ordinary    weight   is 
from  10  to  15  pounds.     Some  are  much  larger. 

The  middle  species,  as  to  size,  is  most  common, 
and  is  not  eaten.  Its  under  side  is  wholly  covered 
with  a  shell ;  and  it  draws  its  head,  feet,  and  tail, 
when  it  pleases,  between  the  edges  of  its  two 
shells. 

The  third  species  is  the  smallest,  but  has  the 
longest  tail  in  proport  on  to  its  body.  Its  back 
shell  is  distinguished  by  protuberances. 

These  turtles  are  all  amphibious  and  oviparous. 
The  eggs  are  not  covered  with  a  shell,  like  those  of 


UPPER   CANADA.  185 

fowls,  but  with  a  tough  skin.  They  are  as  large 
as  bullets,  some  of  them  larger,  and  are  deposited 
in  the  sand,  near  the  bank  of  some  water. 

The  Land  Crab,  seen  on  the  north  shore  of  lake 
Erie,  from  Detroit  to  Fort  Erie,  has  some  resem- 
blance to  a  lizard. 

Though  Lizards  are  not  numerous  here,  I  have 
seen  and  examined  several.  They  did  not  differ 
from  those  of  the  United  States. 

The  country  does  not  abound  in  venomous  rep- 
tiles, except  near  the  west  end  of  lake  Erie,  the 
Detroit,  and  lake  Sinclair,  where  they  are  said  to  be 
numerous. 

There  are  two  species  of  Rattle- Snakes ,  vulgarly 
distinguished  by  the  names  of  the  yellow,  or  large, 
and  black,  or  small,  rattle-snake.  The  former  is  from 
four  to  five  feet  in  length,  and  the  middle  of  the 
body  seven  or  eight  inches  in  circumference,  from 
whence  it  tapers  both  towards  the  head  and  tail. 
The  neck  is  small,  and  the  head  flattened;  the 
eyes  brilliant,  with  a  red  circle  round  the  pupil. 
The  colour  of  the  back  is  brown,  beautifully  varie- 
gated with  yellow  and  a  tinge  of  red,  and  lined  and 
barred  with  black  ;  the  belly  a  sky  blue.  Annexed 
to  the  tail  are  rattles,  as  they  are  termed,  consisting 
of  callous,  horny  articulations,  of  a  brown  colour, 
hollow,  and  inserted  one  into  another,  so  loosely  as 
to  produce  a  rattling  noise  when  shaken.  It  is  com- 
monly believed,  but  I  do  not  know  that  it  is  ascer- 
tained to  be  a  fact,  that  an  additional  joint  or  rattle 
grows  every  year;  and  that  the  age  of  the  snake 
may  be  thus  determined.  When  approached,  or 
apprehensive  of  danger,  he  rattles  with  his  tail, 


186  SKETCHES   OP 

and  coils  himself  up  into  a  spiral  wreath,  with  his 
head  erect  in  the  centre,  still  rattling  by  way  of 
menace  or  alaim  ;  and  upon  being  actually  assailed, 
suddenly  uncoils  himself  with  elastic  force,  and 
without  removing 'his  posterior  half  from  its  place, 
darts  his  head  in  a  curve  line  at  the  object  of  his 
rage,  striking  it  it  within  his  reach  with  two  small 
sharp  teeth  situated  near  the  extremity  of  the 
upper  jaw,  and  surrounded  at  the  root  of  each  tooth 
with  a  bag  of  yellow  liquid  venom,  which  infects 
the  wound  made  by  the  teeth.  This  poison  is 
active  and  dangerous,  and,  without  some  seasonable 
antidote,  often  proves  fatal. 

The  Black  Rattlt-lSnake  differs  only  in  size  and 
colour,  being  not  more  than  two  thirds  as  long  and 
large,  and  having  more  black  and  less  yellow  on 
his  body. 

Black  rattle-snakes,  though  by  no  means  com- 
mon in  the  province,  are  not  so  rare  as  the  yellow 
species.  Of  the  latter  I  have  seen  only  one,  and 
but  few  of  the  former.  The  yellow  rattle-s^ake 
which  I  saw  and  examined,  was  kept  in  a  cage, 
and,  as  his  keeper  declared,  had  lived  several  weeks 
without  food. 

There  are  some  other  snakes,  but  they  are  not 
numerous  or  venomous. 

Reports  have  been,  and  still  are,  in  circulation, 
respecting  a  serpent  of  unusual  magnitude  and  kind, 
said  to  have  been  seen,  in  a  few  instances,  in  lake 
Ontario,  near  its  northern  shore;  but  I  have  obtained 
no  authentic  information  which  justifies  me  in  be- 
lieving it  to  be  any  more  than  an  overgrown  water 
snake  of  the  common  sort,  discovered  unexpectedly, 


CANADA.  187 

and  imperfectly  seen  moving  in  the  water,  magni- 
fied in  appearance  by  its  motion,  and  perhaps  still 
more  by  the  force  of  an  agitated  imagination. 

An  English  ^ent'eman  resident  in  the  province 
has  given  me  a  description  of  a  double-headed  snake 
which  he  saw  here.  The  two  heads  branched  from 
the  same  n  ck,  and  were  apparently  entire  and  per- 
fect. In  all  other  respects  it  appeared  to  be  a  young 
striped  or  garter  snake,  six  or  seven  inches  long. 
It  was  found  with  a  number  of  others,  similar  in 
size  and  appearance,  except  as  to  the  head,  within 
a  common  garter  snake,  in  that  part  of  the  belly 
into  which  an  old  snake  receives  its  young  as  an 
asylum  from  danger.  The  old  one  being  killed, 
these  young  snakes  were  found  in  that  situation. 
The  double-headed  one  being  among  the  rest,  al- 
though differing  from  them  in  having  two  heads, 
while  they  were  single-headed,  and  in  the  usual 
form,  must  be  presumed  to  be  a  monstrous  or  un- 
usual production  of  the  same  stock,  and  not  of  a 
distinct  species.  These  circumstances  seem  to 
decide  a  question  of  more  curiosity,  perhaps,  than 
use,  but  one  on  which  naturalists  have  been  divided 
in  opinion. 

That  noisy,  harmless  animal,  the  Frog,  and  the 
more  odious^  but  not  more  noxious,  Toad,  inhabit 
this  country,  and  possess  their  usual  characteristic 
properties. 

The  Tree  Toad  or  Fro^,  which  is  less  known,  is 
likewise  frequent  in  some  parts  of  the  province. 
In  shape  he  resembles  the  common  toad,  except 
being  more  slim,  and  not  half  so  large.  He  also 

2 


188  SKETCHES   OF 

has  different  and  more  tenacious  claws,  by  which 
he  is  able  to  stick  to  and  ascend  trees.  He  is,  in- 
deed, usually  found  on  a  tree,  closely  adhering  to 
the  bark,  or  sitting  in  the  crotch  of  some  limb  ;  and 
being  pretty  flat,  and  of  a  cloudy  light  brown 
colour,  is  not  easily  distinguished.  Nor  is  he  much 
more  distinguishable  on  a  post,  fence,  or  stump. 
Hence,  probably,  has  originated  the  notion,  that 
he  assimilates  his  colour  to  that  of  the  substance, 
whatever  it  is,  on  which  he  lights.  The  insides  of 
the  hind  legs  are  of  a  light  yellow  ;  but  that  is  not 
discovered  when  he  sits  still.  His  note  is  a  shrill 
croak,  or  rather  chirp,  which  is  often  heard,  espe- 
cially in  the  twilight  and  before  a  rain,  his  favourite 
times  of  singing,  while  the  animal  himself,  although 
sought  after,  is  invisible.  Sometimes  you  may 
hear  several  of  them  chirping  alternately,  with  a 
sort  of  responsive  sociability. 

I  have  not  perceived  any  peculiarity  of  the  in- 
sects of  this  country  worthy  of  particular  notice. 

Honey  Bees  are  found  in  the  woods,  most  fre- 
quently in  large  swarms  in  hollow  trees.  Whether 
these  natives  of  America  were  inhabitants  of  this 
part  of  it  before  it  was  settled  by  the  whites,  or 
have  since  spread  into  the  wilderness  from  their 
settlements,  which  is  more  probable,  they  now 
exist  here  both  in  a  wild  and  domestic  state,  and 
have  lately  been  attended  to  with  a  degree  of  suc- 
cess which  recommends  still  further  attention  to 
them,  as  a  source  of  profit,  comfort,  philosophical 
amusement,  and  moral  instruction.  The  climate 
and  productions  of  the  soil  appear  to  suit  them ; 


UPPER   CANADA.  189 

and  when  hived  and  housed,  at  a  small  expense, 
they  collect  their  treasures,  by  their  own  voluntary 
exertions,  without  injuring  the  crops  of  the  garden 
or  the  field. 


SKETCH   XVII. 

i*i**tt       CONSTITUTION. 

The  Constituting  Act,  a  Legislative  Charter. 

HAVING  traced  the  outlines  of  the  history,  situ- 
ation, and  settlement  of  the  province,  with  its 
climate,  soil,  productions,  and  animals,  we  will 
next  take  a  view  of  its  institutions  and  establish- 
ments, beginning  with  the  constitution. 

By  constitution  is  here  intended  the  establish- 
ment of  a  regular  form  of  government.  This  has 
been  effected  in  different  countries  in  modes  as 
various  as  the  forms  of  government  themselves. 
The  English  constitution  has  resulted  from  imme- 
morial usage,  and  the  proceedings  of  parliament 
acquiesced  in  by  the  nation.  In  the  United  States 
of  America,  constitutions  have  been  reduced  to 
writing,  and  formally  adopted  by  conventions 
chosen  by  the  people  for  that  very  purpose. 

Upper  Canada  derives  her  constitution  from  acts 
of  the  British  Parliament,  which  are  of  the  nature 
of  a  legislative  charter,  and  may  be  considered  as 
amounting  to  a  solemn  compact  between  the  parent 
kingdom  and  the  province,  establishing  the  form  of 
provincial  government. 


190  SKETCHES   OF 


SKETCH  XVIII. 


PROVINCIAL   PARLIAMENT. 

King,  Council,  and  Assembly — legislative  Council 
— Number  of  Members — Qualifications — Ap- 
pointment— Tenure — Speaker — House  of  Assem- 
bly— Number  of  Members — Election  Districts — 

Qualifications    of    Electors Qualification    of 

Members— Proceedings  at  Elections — Decision  of 
contested  Elections —Duration — Speaker — Rules 
— Rights — Royal  Assent  to  Bills- — Powers  of 
Provincial  Legislature —  Taxation  of  the  Province 
—  Union  of  Monarchy,  Aristocracy,  and  Demo- 
cracy. 

THE  Act  of  the  31st  of  George  III.  constitutes 
a  legislative  council  and  an  assembly,  which,  with 
his  Majesty,  compose  the  legislature  of  the  pro- 
vince, and  are  commonly  styled  the  Provincial 
Parliament. 

The  formation  of  each  branch,  the  relative 
powers  of  the  two  branches,  and  their  joint  autho- 
rity, are  worthy  of  separate  consideration. 

The  requisite  qualifications  of  a  member  of  the 
legislative  council  are,  that  he  be  21  years  of  age, 
and  a  British  subject  by  birth,  naturalization,  or 
the  conquest  and  cession  of  Canada.  There  must 
be  at  least  seven  members  of  the  council,  and  may 
be  more  at  the  discretion  of  the  crown. 

They  are  appointed  by  his  Majesty.     The  mocfe 


UPPER   CANADA.  191 

of  their  appointment  is  by  writ  of  summons,  under 
the  great  seal  of  the  Province,  issued  pursuant  to  a 
mandamus  under  his  Majesty's  «is:n  manual.  The 
tenure  ot  their  appointment  is  during  life,  subject 
to  be  forfeited  for  treason,  or  vacated  by  swearing 
allegiance  to  a  foreign  power,  or  by  two  years  con- 
tinual absence  from  the  province  without  the 
governor's  per  mission,  or  four  years  of  such  absence 
without  the  permission  of  his  Majesty. 

The  king  is  authorized  to  grant  hereditary  titles 
of  honour,  rank,  or  dignity  of  the  province,  either 
with  or  without  a  right  to  a  seat  in  the  council 
annexed  to  them  ;  but  no  such  title  has  yet  been 
granted. 

All  questions  respecting  a  right  to  a  seat  at  the 
council  board,  are  to  be  decided  by  the  council, 
subject  to  an  appeal  to  his  majesty  in  parliament. 

The  speaker  of  the  council  is  appointable  and 
removable  by  the  governor,  under  which  term  I 
would  be  understood  to  comprehend  the  lieute- 
nant-governor, or  other  person  administering  the 
government  for  the  time  being,  without  repeating 
the  several  terms  of  official  designation. 

The  legislative  council  is  not,  like  the  British 
House  of  Lords,  vested  with  judicial  authority. 

Whether  an  impeachment  by  the  House  of  As- 
sembly, and  the  trial  of  such  impeachment  by  the 
Council,  be  applicable  to  the  state  of  the  province, 
and  authorized  by  the  constitutional  act,  upon  the 
principle  of  analogy  to  the  British  constitution,  is  a 
question  not  settled  by  any  decision.  As  offices, 
however,  are  holden  during  the  pleasure  of 


192  SKETCHES   OF 

crown,  it  appears  to  be  a  natural  inference,  that  a 
complaint  in  the  nature  of  an  impeachment  must  be 
addressed  to  the  king  in  council. 

The  assembly  is  required  to  be  composed  of  not 
less  than  sixteen  members,  chosen  by  the  qualified 
electors  of  the  districts,  counties,  circles,  towns,  or 
townships;  such  districts,  &c.  with  the  respective 
numbers  of  their  representatives,  to  be  declared,  in 
the  first  instance,  by  the  governor,  but  subject  to 
alteration  by  the  provincial  parliament.     Two  pro- 
vincial acts  have  been  passed  on  the  subject,  the  last 
of  which,  now  in  force,  appoints  the  number  of 
members  to  be  twenty-five,  and  establishes  twenty- 
one  districts  for  their  election,  four  of  the  districts 
having  two  members  each.     These  districts  are  not 
described  in  the  act  by  that  name,  but  consist  re- 
spectively of  a  single  county,  two  counties,  a  riding, 
or  a  county  and  riding  together,  except  that  in  one 
instance,  a  township  of  one  county  is  annexed  to 
another  county.     No  town  or  township  is  repre- 
sented by  itself.     This  circumstance  is  mentioned 
with  a  view   to  the  different  qualifications  of  the 
electors. 

The  act  defines  certain  qualifications  and  disqua- 
lifications of  electors.  First,  to  be  qualified  to  vote 
in  the  election  of  a  member  for  a  district,  county, 
or  circle,  a  person  must  be  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
and  a  British  subject  by  birth,  naturalization,  or  the 
conquest  and  cession  of  Canada,  and  must  also  be 
possessed,  for  his  own  Use,  of  lands  or  tenements 
within  such  district,  county,  or  circle,  held  in  free- 
hold, or  in  fief,  or  in  roture,  or  by  certificate  derived 


UPPER    CANADA.  193 

from  the  governor  and  council  of  Quebec,  of  the 
yearly  value  of  forty  shillings  sterling,  above  all 
rents  and  charges;  to  vote  in  the  election  of  a 
member  for  a  town  or  township,  a  person  must  have 
the  same  qualifications  of  age  and  allegiance,  and 
be  possessed  in  like  manner  of  a  dwelling  house 
and  lot  of  ground,  in  such  town  or  township,  held 
in  like  manner,  of  the  clear  annual  value  of  five 
pounds  sterling  ;  or  must  have  been  resident  in  the 
said  town  or  township,  twelve  calendar  months, 
and  have  paid  one  year's  rent  for  the  house  of  his 
residence,  at  the  rate  of  ten  pounds  sterling  per 
annum.  There  being  no  representation  of  towns 
or  townships,  and,  I  believe,  no  lands  or  tenements 
in  this  province,  holden  as  fiefs  in  the  old  feudal 
sense  of  that  term,  or  by  the  French  tenure  of 
roture,  or  by  certificate  from  the  governor  and 
council  of  Quebec,  the  single  qualification,  in 
point  of  estate,  is  a  freehold  in  the  election  dis- 
trict, of  the  clear  annual  value  of  forty  shillings 
sterling. 

"  Persons/'  being  the  word  used  in  the  act,  in 
the  description  of  electors,  and  afemme  sole  being 
within  the  legal  definition  of  that  term,  it  seems 
that  such  a  woman  having  the  constitutional  qua- 
lifications of  age,  estate,  and  allegiance,  is  entitled 
to  vote  at  an  election. 

There  is  a  British  statute,  13  Geo.  II.  c.  75 
which  naturalizes  all  foreign  protestants,  after  seven 
years  residence  in  any  of  the  American  colonies 
belonging  to  Great  Britain.  Such  a  resident,  there- 
fore, in  this  province,  is  a  British  subject  by  natu- 

o 


194  SKETCHES   OF 

ralization,    though   not   specially    naturalized    by- 
name. 

Residence  in  the  election  district  is  not  required 
of  an  elector.  The  consequence  is,  that  a  person 
may  vote  in  different  districts  in  which  he  has  the 
requisite  freehold. 

No  person  is  capable  of  voting  who  has  been 
attainted  of  treason  or  felony,  or  who  is  within  any 
description  of  persons  disqualified  by  any  act  of 
the  provincial  parliament.  One  such  act  has  been 
passed,  declaring  that  no  person  who  shall  have 
sworn  allegiance  to  any  foreign  state,  or  been  a 
stated  resident  therein,  shall  vote  until  he  shall 
have  been  resident  in  this  province,  or  some  other 
of  his  Majesty's  dominions,  for  the  term  of  seven 
years,  and  shall  have  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance. 

By  the  constitutional  act,  it  is  declared  that 
every  voter,  before  he  is  admitted  to  give  his  vote 
at  an  election,  shall,  if  required  by  any  of  the  can- 
didates, or  the  returning  officer,  take  an  oath  that 
he  has  not  voted  before  at  that  election  ;  and  that, 
to  the  best  of  his  knowledge  and  belief,  he  has  the 
requisite  qualifications. 

It  has  been  questioned,  before  the  returning 
officers  at  the  polls,  but  I  do  not  find  that  the 
question  has  ever  been  carried  to  the  Assembly 
for  decision,  whether  a  Quaker's  affirmation  is 
admissible,  in  this  case,  instead  of  an  oath.  If 
not,  that  sober,  pacific,  moral  sect  of  Christians, 
being  conscientiously  scrupulous  of  an  oath,  are 
in  effect  disqualified  and  excluded  from  the  elec- 
tive franchise.  The  British  statute  book  furnishes 
a  satisfactory  answer. 


TWER   CANADA.  195 

The  7th  and  8th  of  Will.  III.  c.  34,  authorizes 
the  solemn  affirmation  of  a  Quaker  instead  of  an 
oath,  in  all  cases  except  three.  The  8th  of  Geo.  I. 
c.  6,  prescribed  a  form  of  affirmation.  A  doubt 
having  arisen,  whether  such  affirmation  could  be 
allowed  in  a  case,  where,  by  a  subsequent  statute, 
an  oath  is  required  without  any  provision  for  the 
substitution  of  a  Quaker's  affirmation,  the  22d 
of  Geo.  II.  c.  46.  sect.  36,  for  removing  that  doubt, 
enacted  and  declared,  "That  in  all  cases  wherein, 
by  any  act  or  acts  of  Parliament,  now  in  force,  or 
hereafter  to  be  made,  an  oath  is  or  shall  be  allowed, 
authorized,  directed,  or  required,  the  solemn  de- 
claration of  any  of  the  people  called  Quakers,  in 
the  form  prescribed  by  the  said  act,  made  in  the 
8th  year  of  his  said  late  Majesty's  reign,  shall  be 
allowed  and  taken  instead  of  such  oath,  although 
no  particular  or  express  provision  be  made  for  that 
purpose  in  such  act  or  acts:  and  all  persons  who 
are,  or  shall  be,  authorized  and  required  to  admi- 
nister such  oath,  shall  be,  and  hereby  are  authorized 
and  required  to  administer  the  solemn  affirmation 
or  declaration ;  and  the  solemn  affirmation  or 
declaration  so  made,  as  aforesaid,  shall  be  adjudged 
and  taken,  and  is  hereby  enacted  and  declared  to 
be  of  the  same  force  and  effect,  to  all  intents  and 
purposes,  in  all  courts  of  justice  and  other  places, 
where  by  law  an  oath  is  or  shall  be  allowed,  au- 
thorized, directed,  or  required,  as  if  such  Quaker 
had  taken  an  oath  in  the  usual  form,"  and  with  a 
proviso,  as  in  the  statute  of  William,  that  no 
Quaker  shall  thereby  be  qualified  to  give  evidence 
o  2 


196  SKETCHES   OF 

in  criminal  cases,  to  serve  on  juries,  or  to  bear  any 
office  or  place  of  profit  in  the  government. 

Voting  at  elections  is  not  within  either  of  the 
three  exceptions.  Most  clearly,  therefore,  a  Qua- 
ker's solemn  affirmation  is  admissible  in  that  case, 
instead  of  an  oath.  It  is  equivalent  to  an  oath. 
In  a  legal  sense  it  is  an  oath,  although  not  in  the 
usual  form. 

The  qualifications  of  a  member  of  Assembly  also 
are  affirmative  and  negative;  1st.  Affirmatively,  he 
must  be  21  years  of  age,  and  a  British  subject  by 
birth,  naturalization,  or  the  conquest  and  cession 
of  Canada.  2d.  Negatively,  he  must  not  be  a 
member  of  the  Legislative  Council;  nor  "a  minister 
of  the  Church  of  England,  or  a  minister,  priest, 
ecclesiastic,  or  teacher,  either  according  to  the  rites 
of  the  Church  of  Rome,  or  under  any  other  form 
or  profession  of  religious  faith  or  worship."  It 
has  been  a  question  whether  the  four  words,  minis- 
ter, priest,  ecclesiastic,  or  teacher,  all  intend  clerical 
characters,  described  by  these  different  terms,  with 
a  view  to  comprehend  all  the  names  by  which  such 
characters  may  be  designated  among  different  sects 
of  dissenters ;  or  whether  the  word  "  Teacher" 
extends  beyond  persons  ordained  or  licensed  to 
preach,  so  as  to  disqualify  a  lay  exhorter  of  the 
methodist  denomination.  The  same  words  are 
used  in  the  42d  section  of  the  act,  in  the  same 
order,  but  in  a  connexion  which  seems  to  limit 
their  application  to  persons  in  clerical  orders.  In 
the  enumeration  of  subjects,  on  which  acts  passed 
by  the  provincial  Council  and  Assembly  are  required 


UPPER  CANADA.  197 

to  be  submitted  to  the  British  parliament,  before 
the  King  assents  to  them,  there  is  this  clause,  "or 
shall  in  any  manner  relate  to  granting,  imposing, 
or  recovering  any  other  dues  or  stipends,  or  emolu- 
ments whatever,  to  be  paid  to  or  for  the  use  of  any 
minister,  priest,  ecclesiastic,  or  teacher,  according 
to  any  religious  form  or  mode  of  worship,  in  respect 
of  his  said  office  or  function."  A  lay  exhorter  can 
hardly  be  considered  a  teacher,  for  whom,  in  respect 
of  his  said  office  or  function,  dues,  stipends,  or 
emoluments  are  granted,  imposed  or  recovered. 

In  the  disqualifying  clause,  however,  the  term 
may  have  a  more  extended  sense.  Indeed  the 
construction  of  the  constitution,  on  this  point, 
appears  to  be  now  settled,  by  the  cases  of  Messrs. 
Roblin  and  Willson,  in  which  a  majority  of  the 
Assembly  are  of  opinion  that  those  two  members, 
being  exhorters,  although  laymen,  were  within  the 
disqualification,  and  accordingly  declared  their  seats 
vacant.  Upon  constitutional  principles,  the  As- 
sembly is  the  proper  tribunal  to  decide  all  questions 
respecting  the  qualifications  of  its  members. 

No  person  can  be  a  member  of  the  Assembly 
who  has  been  attainted  of  treason  or  felony,  or  who 
is  within  any  description  of  persons  disqualified  by 
act  of  the  provincial  parliament.  By  such  an  act, 
passed  in  1795,  it  was  declared,  that  no  person, 
who  had  or  should  come  into  the  province  from 
any  place  not  under  his  Majesty's  government,  and 
not  having  been  a  bona  fide  subject  of  the  King 
for  seven  years  next  preceding,  should  be  eligible 
until  after  seven  years  residence ;  and  by  another 


198  SKETCHES   OP 

act,  passed  in  1814,  this  term  of  qualificatory 
residence  is  extended  to  14  years.  A  representa- 
tive is  also  required  to  have  rateable  property  of 
the  assessed  value  of  200  pounds,  40  pounds  of 
which  must  be  unincumbered  real  estate,  in  fee 
simple,  in  his  own  right*. 

There  is  one  point  of  view  in  which  the  oath  re- 
quired of  the  members  is  connected  with  their  qua- 
lifications.  It  is  enacted  that  no  member  of  the 
Legislative  Council  or  Assembly  shall  sit  or  vote 
until  he  shall  have  taken  and  subscribed  an  oath, 
the  form  of  which  is  prescribed  in  the  act.  Re- 
specting this  oath,  a  question  has  occurred,  whe- 
ther a  Quaker's  solemn  affirmation  may  be  substi- 
tuted ?  I  should  have  supposed  it  might,  as  in  the 
case  of  an  elector,  agreeably  to  the  act  of  the  22d. 
of  Geo.  II,  had  not  the  Assembly  decided  other- 
wise. Philip  Borland,  Esq.  being  elected  a  mem- 
ber, signed  and  annexed  to  the  return  of  his  elec- 
tion, a  representation  to  the  Assembly,  that  after  his 
election  he  had  discovered  that  such  an  oath  was 
required,  and  was  advised  that  an  affirmation  would 
not  be  admitted  ;  that  he  was  of  the  sect  of  Qua- 
kers,  and  could  not  conscientiously  take  an  oath, 
but  was  willing  to  take  and  subscribe  a  solemn 
affirmation  to  the  same  effect,  if  that  might  be 
allowed,  otherwise  he  must  decline  a  seat  in  the 
house,  and  submitted  the  question  to  their  deter- 


*  Another  act  has  been  since  passed,  making  the  qualification 
in  point  of  property,  to  consist  simply  in  the  possession  of  400 
acres  of  land,  free  of  incumbrance. R.  G, 


UPPER  CANADA.  199 

mination.  The  house  resolved  that  his  affirmation 
was  not  admissible  instead  of  an  oath.  A  new 
writ  of  election  was  accordingly  issued  to  supply 
the  vacancy. 

This  constitutional  question  has  never  occurred 
in  the  Legislative  Council. 

Having  thus  considered  the  qualifications  of  the 
electors  and  the  elected,  we  will  now  attend  to 
the  proceedings  at  elections. 

When  a  new  Assembly  is  to  be  called,  a  procla- 
mation to  that  effect  is  issued  by  the  governor, 
who  appoints  a  returning  officer  in  each  election 
district,  and  the  time  and  place  of  holding  the 
election,  and  issues  a  writ  of  election,  directed  to 
each  returning  officer,  returnable  in  fifty  days. 
The  votes  are  given,  not  by  ballot,  but  by  viva 
voce,  and  the  person  elected  must  have  a  majority  \ 
by  which  is  not  meant,  as  in  some  of  the  United 
States,  more  than  half  of  the  whole  number  of 
votes,  but  more  than  are  given  for  any  other 
candidate. 

A¥hen  a  vacancy  accrues  in  the  house,  a  writ  of 
election  is  issued,  and  similar  proceedings  are  had 
thereon. 

The  British  act  against  bribery,  and  treating  at 
elections,  is  not  in  force  in  this  province,  and  no 
provincial  law  has  been  passed  on  the  subject. 

The  manner  of  deciding  contested  elections  is  re- 
gulated by  a  statute  passed  in  1805.  Every  petition 
complaining  of  an  undue  election  or  return,  must 
state  the  grounds  of  complaint.  In  case  the  house 
judge  them  sufficient,  if  true,  a  time  not  less  than 


200  SKETCHES    OF 

fourteen  days,  except  by  consent  of  parties,  is 
assigned  for  taking  the  same  into  consideration, 
and  notice  thereof  given  to  the  petitioners  and 
sitting  members.  The  members  of  the  house,  a 
quorum  of  whom  must  be  present,  are  sworn  well 
and  truly  to  try  the  matter  of  the  petition  referred 
to  them,  and  a  true  judgment  give  according  to  the 
evidence,  and  the  witnesses  on  both  sides  are  sworn 
and  examined  at  the  bar  of  the  house.  The  sitting 
member  does  not  vote  in  the  decision,  or  on  any 
question  arising  in  the  course  of  the  trial. 

The  Assembly  continues  for  the  term  of  four 
years  from  the  return  day  of  the  writs  of  election, 
subject,  nevertheless,  to  be  dissolved  in  the  mean- 
time by  the  governor,  who  has  also  the  power  of 
proroguing  the  Council  and  Assembly  from  time  to 
time,  and  of  appointing  the  time  and  place  of  their 
session,  with  this  constitutional  injunction,  that 
they  shall  be  called  together  once  at  least  every 
year. 

A  prorogation  is  for  a  term  not  exceeding  forty 
days,  and  is  repeated  from  time  to  time  by  pro- 
clamation. The  members  are  notified  by  letters  of 
the  time  of  actual  meeting  for  the  transaction  of 
business.  This  mode  of  proceeding  by  repeated 
short  terms,  instead  of  a  single  postponement  to 
the  day  of  intended  meeting,  seems  to  be  founded 
upon  the  principle  that  a  prorogation  is  irrevocable, 
and  that  there  is  no  authority  to  convene  the  legis- 
lature within  that  period.  A  different  fprm  is  prac- 
tised within  the  United  States.  Before  the  close 
of  one  session,  the  time  of  the  commencement  of 


UPPER   CANADA.  201 

the  next  is  fixed  and  made  known,  that  all  persons 
concerned  may  have  seasonable  notice,  and  make 
their  arrangements  accordingly.  But  in  the  interim 
the  president,  or  governor,  has  a  discretionary 
power  to  call  them  together  by  proclamation  at  an 
earlier  day,  if  any  extraordinary  occasion  should 
require  it. 

The  parliament  cannot  com%ience  a  session 
without  being  met  and  opened  by  the  governor. 

The  house  elect  their  own  speaker,  who  is  pre- 
sented to  the  governc**  for  his  approbation. 

They  also  adopt  their  own  rules  and  orders ;  and 
where  they  have  none  expressly  adopted,  they 
govern  themselves  by  those  of  the  Commons  of 
Great  Britain ;  for  which  Hatsel  is  referred  to  as 
an  authority. 

The  rights  and  powers  of  the  Assembly  in  re- 
lation to  the  other  branches,  on  subjects  not  defined 
in  the  constitution,  are  considered  to  be  in  general 
analogous  to  those  of  the  British  House  of  Com- 
mons. Thus  money  bills  originate  in  the  Assembly, 
and  are  not  altered  by  the  Council,  although  there 
is  no  express  provision  to  that  effect  in  the  consti- 
tutional act.  In  1816,  the  Council  passed  and  sent 
down  to  the  House  of  Assembly  a  bill  to  regulate 
the  commercial  intercourse  with  the  United  States, 
and,  for  that  purpose,  laying  certain  duties  on  arti- 
cles imported  into  the  province.  The  House  una- 
nimously resolved,  that  it  was  an  infringement  of 
their  exclusive  privilege  of  originating  money  bills, 
jand  refused  to  act  upon  it. 

A  bill  passed  by  the  Council  and  Assembly  is 


202  SKETCHES   OF 

not  a  law  until  it  is  assented  to  by  his  Majesty,  or 
by  his  representative  in  his  name.  Except  in  the 
cases  reserved  by  the  constitutional  act,  the  royal 
assent  must  be  given  in  the  presence  of  the  two 
houses.  In  the  session  of  1815,  a  bill  was  passed 
by  both  houses,  and  signed  by  the  president ;  but 
when  he  appeared  before  the  two  houses  to  give  the 
King's  assent  to  bills,  that  was  mislaid,  and  not 
to  be  found.  It  was  adjudged  not  to  be  a  law. 

The  representative  of  the  King  maybe  a  governor, 
lieutenant-governor,  or  other  person  authorized  to 
administer  the  government.  He  usually  has  the 
style  of  lieutenant-governor.  A  governor  in  chief, 
appointed  over  all  the  British  provinces  in  America, 
resides  at  Quebec,  and  has  the  charge  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Lower  Canada. 

When  a  bill  has  passed  the  two  houses,  it  is  pre- 
sented to  the  lieutenant-governor,  who  assents  to 
it  in  his  Majesty 's  name,  or  withholds  the  royal 
assent,  or  reserves  it  for  the  signification  of  his 
Majesty's  pleasure.  If  assented  to  by  the  lieute- 
nant-governor, it  maybe  disallowed  by  his  Majesty 
at  any  time  within  two  years,  and  then  ceases  to 
be  a  law  upon  the  signification  of  such  disallowance. 

If  reserved,  his  Majesty  may,  at  any  time  within 
two  years,  assent  to  it,  and  then  it  takes  effect  as  a 
law  upon  the  signification  of  such  assent. 

Bills  passed  on  certain  enumerated  subjects,  re- 
specting religion,  and  its  establishment  and  support, 
are  required  to  be  reserved,  and  also  to  be  laid 
before  both  houses  of  the  British  parliament, 
before  being  assented  to  by  the  King ;  and  if  either 


UPPER   CANADA.  203 

of  the  said  houses  address  his  Majesty  against  them, 
he  is  restrained  from  giving  his  assent. 

Thus  constituted,  the  provincial  Parliament  is 
authorized  to  pass  laws,  not  repugnant  to  the  con- 
stituting act,  for  the  peace,  welfare,  and  government 
of  this  province,  which  are  declared  to  be  valid 
and  binding,  to  all  intents  and  purposes  whatever, 
within  the  province. 

On  one  most  important  subject,  that  of  taxation, 
the  British  parliament  has  expressly  and  solemnly 
renounced  the  exercise  of  all  legislative  power  over 
the  province.  By  an  act  passed  in  the  18th  year 
of  Geo.  111.  (1778)  it  was  declared,  "  That  the 
King  and  Parliament^  Great  Britain  will  not  im- 
pose any  duty,  tax,  or  assessment  whatever,  pay- 
able in  any  of  his  Majesty's  colonies,  provinces,  or 
plantations  in  North  America,  or  the  West  Indies, 
except  only  such  duties  as  it  may  be  expedient  to 
impose  for  the  regulation  of  commerce,  the  net  pro- 
duce of  such  duties  to  be  always  paid  and  applied 
to  and  for  the  use  of  the  colony,  province,  or  plan- 
tation in  which  the  same  shall  be  respectively 
levied,  in  such  manner  as  other  duties  collected  by 
the  authority  of  the  respective  general  courts  or 
general  assemblies  of  such  colonies,  provinces,  or 
plantations,  are  ordinarily  paid  and  applied/'  This 
solemn  declaration  is  recited,  and  thereby  renewed, 
in  the  act  constituting  Upper  Canada;  and  thus 
has  become  an  essential  part  of  the  constitution. 
Under  this  guarantee  of  an  exclusive  right  of  self- 
taxation,  the  province  was  settled,  and  has  thus 
far  progressed,  and  there  is  DO  apprehension  that 


204  SKETCHES    OF 

the  public  faith,  so  sacredly  pledged  by  both  King 
and  Parliament,  will  ever  be  violated* 

As  the  people  understand  that  no  taxes  can  be 
levied  upon  them  without  the  concurrence  of  their 
immediate  representatives,  who,  in  common  with 
their  constituents,  must  share  in  the  burthen  of 
such  taxes,  there  is,  on  this  interesting  subject,  a 
general  spirit  of  contentment  and  satisfaction. 

The  government  of  Upper  Canada  is  a  mixture 
of  monarchy  in  the  person  of  the  King,  aristocracy 
in  the  legislative  Council,  and  democracy  in  the 
Assembly,  with  some  variances,  resulting  from 
practice,  and  the  colonial  state  of  the  country, 
it  is  an  epitome  of  the  English  government. 


, 
SKETCH  XIX, 

EXECUTIVE  GOVERNMENT. 


Executive  Powers  vested  solely  in  the  King — His 
Majesty's  Representative  in  the  Prdvince— Ap- 
pointment of  principal  Officers — Their  Salaries, 
how  paid— Subordinate  Officers— Executive  Coun- 
cil 

THE  King  is  not  only  a  constituent  branch  of  the 
provincial  legislature,  but  is  solely  vested  with  the 
supreme  executive  power,  a  part  of  which  is  exer- 
cised by  him  immediately,  and  a  considerable  por- 


UPPER   CANADA.  205 

tion  of  it,  through  the  medium  of  his  official  repre- 
sentative. The  lieutenant-governor,  and  principal 
officers,  such  as  themembers  of  theexecutive  council, 
judges  of  the  court  of  King's  Bench,  receiver  and 
auditor  general,  inspector  general,  attorney  general, 
solicitor  general,  surveyor  general,  secretary,  &c. 
receive  their  appointments  and  salaries  directly 
from  the  crown.  The  judges  of  subordinate  courts, 
sheriffs,  magistrates,  militia  officers,  &c.  are  ap- 
pointed by  the  lieutenant-governor,  in  his  Majesty's 
name,  and  are  compensated  according  to  the  pro- 
visions of  provincial  laws. 

The  lieutenant-governor  has  a  council,  analogous 
to  the  King's  privy  council,  to  advise  him  in  the 
executive  department  of  government.  The  num- 
ber of  the  members,  their  continuance  in  office, 
and  their  qualifications,  being  undefined  in  the  act 
of  parliament,  are  left  to  the  discretion  of  the 
crown.  Petitions  to  the  lieutenant-governor,  on 
executive  subjects,  are  addressed  to  him  in  coun- 
cil ;  and  the  decisions,  acts,  and  orders  thereon 
are  by  his  excellency  in  council. 


SKETCH  xx. 


* 
JUDICIARY. 


King's  Bench — Court  of  Appeals — Resort  to  the 
King  in  Council-— Courts  of  Assize  and  Nisi 
Prius — District  Courts — General  Quarter  Ses- 


206  SKETCHES   OF 

sions — Courts  of  Requests — Jurisdiction  of  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace—  Court  of  Probate — Surro- 
gate Courts — Land  Board — Importance  of  Judi- 
cial Reports* 

IN  the  judiciary  department  there  is  no  court  of 
Chancery  yet  established;  but  there  are  a  superior 
court  of  civil  and  criminal  jurisdiction,  and  various 
inferior  courts.  The  superior  court,  styled  the 
King's  Bench,  is  composed  of  a  chief  justice  and 
two  puisne  justices;  has  powers  similar  to  those 
of  the  King's  Bench,  Common  Pleas,  and  in  mat- 
ters of  revenue,  the  Exchequer  in  England,  and 
holds  four  regular  terms  a  year  at  the  seat  of  go- 
vernment. From  this  court  a  cause  of  £  100  value, 
or  relating  to  an  annual  rent  or  duty  of  a. general 
nature,  may  be  carried  by  writ  of  error  to  the  Court 
of  Appeals,  consisting  of  the  governor  or  chief 
justice  and  executive  Council ;  from  whose 
judgment  in  a  case  of  £500  value,  or  relating  to 
such  rent  or  duty,  an  appeal  lies  to  his  Majesty  in 
Council.  But  I  understand  there  has  been  only 
one  appeal  from  a  judgment  of  the  King's  Bench, 
since  its  establishment. 

Commissions  of  Assize  and  Nisi  Prius  are  an- 
nually issued  into  the  eight  districts  for  the  trial 
of  issues.  One  of  the  judges  of  the  King's  Bench 
is  in  the  commission  for  the  eastern  circuit,  and 
another  for  the  western.  In  the  commission  of 
gaol  delivery  he  is  associated  with  two  or  three 
other  gentlemen  in  each  district.  The  attorney- 
general  attends  one  circuit,  and  the  solicitor- 


UPPER   CANADA.  207 

general  the  other,  to  conduct  the  prosecutions  in 
behalf  of  the  King. 

In  each  district  there  is  a  district  court,  con- 
sisting of  one  judge  or  more,  holding  four  terms  a 
year,  and  having  cognizance  of  cases  of  liquidated 
debts,  not  exceeding  forty  pounds,  and  of  other 
cases  of  contract ;  also  of  personal  property  and 
trespass,  to  the  amount  of  fifteen  pounds,  except 
assault  and  battery  and  false  imprisonment,  or 
where  the  title  to  land  comes  in  question. 

There  are  courts  of  Sessions  likewise  in  each 
district,  holden  quarterly,  by  the  justices  of  the 
district,  for  the  trial  of  trespasses  and  misdemeanors, 
establishment  of  ways,  ordering  of  district  taxes, 
appointment  of  certain  officers,  and  regulation  of 
various  matters  of  police. 

Courts  of  Requests  are  holden,  on  the  first  and 
third  Saturdays  of  every  month,  at  some  appointed 
place  in  each  justiciary  division  of  the  districts, 
by  two  or  more  justices  of  the  peace,  acting  as 
commissioners,  for  the  trial  of  cases  of  contract,  to 
the  amount  of  forty  shillings,  according  to  the 
principles  of  equity  and  good  conscience,  with 
authority  to  examine  the  parties  as  well  as  their 
witnesses  under  oath. 

A  justice  of  the  peace  has  not  authority  to  try 
actions.  But  in  cases  where  a  capias  for  debt  is 
issuable  from  the  King's  Bench,  he  may  grant  a 
warrant  to  detain  a  debtor  for  a  term  not  exceed- 
ing eight  days,  to  give  the  creditor  an  opportunity 
of  procuring  such  a  capias  ;  and  in  criminal  cases 
he  may  issue  a  warrant  to  arrest  a  person  charged 


208  SKETCHES   OF 

with  an  offence;  and  upon  examination,  may  com- 
mit or  recognise  him  for  trial  at  the  proper  court. 
He  may  also  order  sureties  for  the  peace. 

There  is  a  Court  of  Probate  for  the  province, 
and  a  Surrogate  Court,  with  probate  jurisdiction 
in  each  district. 

There  is  a  Land  Board  of  Commissioners,  with 
equitable  powers  respecting  the  claims  of  heirs, 
devisees,  and  assignees,  to  lands  granted  by  the 
crown,  where  patents  were  not  issued  on  the  grants 
to  the  original  nominees. 

Issues  in  fact  are  tried  at  the  assizes,  district 
courts,  and  sessions,  by  juries  summoned  by  the 
sheriff,  from  returned  lists  of  the  taxable  inhabi- 
tants of  the  district. 

The  adjudications  of  the  Court  of  King's  Bench 
are  highly  respected,  but  are  not  easily  and  correct- 
ly known  for  want  of  reports. 

In  all  free  countries  the  administration  of  jus- 
tice is  an  interesting  object,  and  the  judiciary  is 
accordingly  an  important  branch  of  government. 
It  is  peculiarly  so  in  this  province. 

The  English  criminal  law  is  established  as  the 
basis  of  the  criminal  code  of  Upper  Canada ;  and 
the  laws  of  England,  with  some  exceptions,  are, 
in  general  terms,  adopted  as  the  rule  of  evidence 
and  decision,  "in  all  matters  of  controversy  rela- 
tive to  property  and  civil  rights/'  Besides  the  ex- 
ceptions which  are  expressed,  there  is  an  implied 
exception  or  omission  of  other  parts  of  the  English 
laws,  because  of  their  local  nature,  their  inappli- 
cability to  the  state  of  the  province,  the  want  of 


UPPER   CANADA.  209 

appropriate  authorities  to  execute  and  administer 
them,  or  the  substitution  of  other  provisions. 
Under  this  qualified  adoption  of  the  laws  of  Eng- 
land, without  a  legislative  specification  of  them* 
the  Provincial  Judiciary  has  the  double  task  of 
deciding  what  those  laws  are,  and  which  of  them 
are  in  force  here. 

Upper  Canada  was  for  many  years  a  part  of  the 
province  of  Quebec,  and  of  course  subject  to  the 
legislative  ordinances  of  the  Governor  and  Council 
of  that  province  ;  and  when  it  was  erected  into  a 
separate  province,  by  the  Act  of  31st  of  George 
111.  establishing  the  present  order  of  things,  those 
ordinances  of  the  former  government,  so  far  as  they 
were  not  repugnant  to  the  new  constitution,  were 
left  in  force  until  they  should  be  repealed  by  pro- 
vincial statutes. 

Some  of  them  have  been  repealed  expressly ; 
some,  perhaps,  by  necessary  implication ;  and 
others  still  remain  in  force,  although  they  are  not 
published  among  the  laws  of  this  province. 

The  acts  of  the  British  Parliament  constituting 
the  government  of  this  province,  and  the  various 
provincial  ordinances  and  statutes,  have  intro- 
duced principles  and  proceedings  adapted  to  the 
peculiar  circumstances  of  the  province,  but  va- 
riant from  the  laws  of  England.  The  interpreta- 
tion of  these,  as  well  as  other  laws,  the  legal  con- 
sequences deducible  from  them,  their  operation 
upon  the  rules  of  common  law,  and  their  applica- 
tion to  the  innumerable  cases,  which  occur  in 

p 


210  SKETCHES    OF 

practice,  from  the  endless  variety  of  human  trans- 
actions, are  proper  subjects  of  judicial  decision. 

The  adjudications  of  the  court  of  King's  Bench, 
subject  to  a  revisionary  check,  are  evidences  of 
the  existing  laws,  as  really  as  the  acts  of  the  le- 
gislature, although  subordinate  thereto.  They  are 
binding  upon  the  inhabitants,  and  ought,  therefore, 
like  the  statutes,  to  be  promulgated,  in  such  an 
intelligible  form,  that  they,  who  are  thus  bound 
by  them,  may  have  the  means  of  knowing  them, 
in  order  to  regulate  their  conduct  thereby,  so  as  to 
avoid  penalties,  and  secure  their  just  rights,  since 
it  is  a  necessary  maxim  of  government,  that  no 
man  shall  be  permitted  to  plead  ignorance  of  the 
law,  to  excuse  himself  from  liability  to  indictment, 
or  action  for  transgressing  it ;  or  to  support  any 
claim  founded  on  contract,  or  relating  to  property. 

This  view  of  the  subject  shows  the  importance 
of  regular  reports  of  those  adjudications,  and  the 
necessity  of  an  authentic  publication  of  them. 
For,  if  they  are  not  thus  laid  before  the  public, 
and  thereby  placed  within  the  reach  of  individuals, 
how  can  they,  without  unreasonable  expence,  or 
indeed  at  any  price  whatever,  obtain  a  sufficient 
knowledge  of  the  rules  on  which  their  estates, 
their  rights,  their  personal  liberties  and  lives  may 
depend  ? 

Without  reports  the  decisions  of  the  court  are 
liable  to  be  misunderstood,  misrecollected,  and 
misstated,  even  by  professional  men,  and  much 
more  by  those  who  do  not  study  and  practise  the 
law  professionally. 


UPPER   CANADA,  211 

Bare  copies  of  the  records,  which  however  could 
hot  be  procured  without  much  trouble  and  cost, 
would  not  alone  explain  the  principles  on  which 
cases  are  decided,  the  reasons  of  decision  not  being- 
stated  at  large  in  a  record  as  they  are  in  a  report. 

But  if  printed  reports  were  obtainable,  every 
one  would  have  it  in  his  power  to  examine  them 
for  himself,  or,  at  his  election,  to  consult  those 
whose  profession  it  is  to  understand  the  laws,  and 
to  assist  clients  with  information  and  advice. 

A  misunderstanding  of  judicial  decisions  leaves 
many  persons  not  only  exposed  to  errors  and  losses 
in  their  own  concerns,  but  also  dissatisfied  with  the 
court  and  disaffected  to  the  government.  The 
most  effectual  mode  of  obviating  such  dissatisfac- 
tion and  disaffection,  is  to  furnish  the  public  with 
authentic  reports  of  the  cases  adjudged.  The 
reasoning  of  the  judges  will  convince  and  satisfy 
intelligent  readers,  and  shield  the  administration  of 
justice  against  popular  prejudices  and  mistakes. 
As  the  general  welfare  is  the  great  end  of  good 
government,  it  is  of  some  importance  that  the  laws 
be  generally  satisfactory  in  their  operation  as  well 
as  right  in  themselves. 

The  English  jurisprudence  is  the  glory  of  the 
nation,  and  the  admiration  of  the  world  ;  and  its 
present  state  of  maturity  is,  in  a  great  degree,  to 
be  ascribed  to  a  series  of  reports,  commenced  in 
an  early  reign,  and  continued  with  little  intermis- 
sion, down  to  the  present  time.  Having  the  his- 
tory of  former  cases  thus  set  before  them,  and 
knowing  that  their  own  judicial  opinions,  with 


212  SKETCHES  OF 

their  reasons  therefor,  will  not  only  be  perused 
and  examined  by  their  learned  cotemporaries,  but 
descend  to  their  successors,  and  be  submitted  to 
the  perusal  and  examination  of  posterity ;  the 
judges  have  felt  an  honourable  responsibility,  and 
in  addition  to  their  high  sense  of  duty,  have  been 
animated  with  an  ambition  to  decide  upon  princi- 
ples that  will  stand  the  test  of  ages.  The  result 
has  been  such  as  might  be  expected.  Their  deci- 
sions have  formed  a  system  of  common  law,  which 
is  a  model  for  other  nations,  and  is,  indeed,  so 
complete,  that  comparatively  few  questions  of 
doubt  now  arise  under  it.  In  proportion  to  the 
relative  amount  of  business,  there  are,  probably, 
ten  unsettled  points  of  law  in  this  country  to  one 
in  that. 

This  state  of  things  is  not  impu table  to  any 
improvidence  of  the  provincial  legislature,  in  pass- 
ing, or  neglecting  to  pass,  legislative  acts,  or  to 
any  defect  of  the  court  in  determining  cases  sub- 
mitted to  its  determination  ;  but  has  resulted  from 
the  circumstances  of  the  province;  and  the  only 
adequate  remedy  is  to  be  sought  in  a  course  of 
judicial  decisions,  maturely  formed,  faithfully  re- 
ported, and  uniformly  adhered  to. 

Although  the  provincial  judges  are  in  some 
respects  in  a  more  difficult  situation  than  those  of 
Westminster  Hall,  having  a  more  unexplored  field 
before  them,  with  fewer  land  marks  to  guide  their 
way  ;  yet  if  their  decisions,  with  the  reasons  on 
which  they  are  founded,  and  the  arguments  by 
which  they  are  supported,  were  correctly  taken 


UPPER  CANADA.  213 

down,  and  preserved  in  faithful  public  reports,  they 
would  soon  lay  the  foundation  of  a  system  of  pro- 
vincial jurisprudence,  not  less  complete  than  that 
of  the  parent  country.  The  happy  consequences 
would  be  a  more  perfect  uniformity  of  adjudica- 
tions in  the  superior  court,  both  at  the  terms  and 
on  the  circuits,  than  is  possible  without  reports ;  a 
conformity  of  the  inferior  courts,  a  prevention  of 
many  otherwise  inevitable  misapprehensions  of  the 
points  decided,  and  the  grounds  of  decision  ;  a 
more  known  and  certain  state  of  the  laws,  and  a 
consequent  diminution  of  the  occasions  and  ex- 
pences  of  law-suits  ;  for  the  uncertainty  of  law  is 
the  most  expensive  source  of  litigation. 

The  beneficial  effects  would  not  be  confined  to 
courts,  magistrates,  and  private  subjects.  Even 
legislators  would  share  in  them.  By  an  historical 
view  of  the  judicial  interpretation  and  application 
of  existing  laws,  they  would  be  assisted  in  deciding 
what  legislative  remedies  may  be  necessary,  to 
supply  any  defects,  or  remove  any  evils,  pointed 
out  by  experience. 

The  utility  of  such  reports  is  generally  admitted ; 
but  the  practicability  of  introducing  them  in  the 
present  state  of  the  province  is  questioned.  To 
take  correct  notes,  it  is  said,  of  the  arguments  and 
opinions  delivered  in  each  important  cause,  to 
digest  them  into  regular  method  and  form,  with  a 
full  yet  concise  state  of  the  case  and  the  pleadings, 
and  proper  references  to  the  authorities  cited  by 
the  counsel  and  the  court,  and  to  prepare  them  for 
publication  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  must  be  a 


214  SKETCHES   OF 

work  of  much  labour  and  care,  which  ought  not 
to  be  undertaken  without  some  reasonable  expec- 
tation of  reward ;  but  that  the  purchasers  of  re- 
ports in  the  province  would  probably  be  so  few, 
that  the  sale  of  copies  would  not,  for  some  time, 
more  than  defray  the  expences  of  publication, 
without  leaving  any  remuneration  to  the  reporter. 

In  England,  reports,  in  the  form  of  year  books, 
were  introduced,  in  pursuance  of  an  act  of  parlia- 
ment, at  the  public  expence,  which  was  continued 
until  the  demand  for  the  books  of  reports  became 
such  as  to  yield  the  author  an  adequate  recompense. 
Their  introduction  in  that  manner  has,  for  centu- 
ries, been  a  subject  of  gratitude  and  applause. 

Upon  the  same  principle,  and  with  corresponding 
success,  in  several  of  the  United  States,  where  the 
English  common  law  is  adopted  as  the  basis  of  the 
state  laws,  liberal  compensations  are  granted  to 
reporters,  out  of  the  public  funds,  to  the  general 
satisfaction  of  the  people,  although  there  is  already 
such  a  demand  there  for  the  books,  that  printers 
can  afford  to  pay  a  handsome  price  for  the  copy- 
right. 

If  the  revenue  of  this  province  be  too  limited, 
or  the  claims  of  other  objects  of  public  utility  too 
numerous  and  urgent,  to  permit  the  application  of 
any  portion  of  it  to  the  encouragement  of  judicial 
reports,  their  introduction,  however  impracticable 
at  present,  may  be  among  the  improvements  of  the 
province,  at  some  future  day,  and  in  a  more  ad- 
vanced stage  of  population  and  resources. 


UPPER  CANADA.  215 

SKETCH  XXI. 

MONEY. 

Rates  of  Gold  and  Silver  Com — Gold,  when  to  be 
weighed  in  Bulk — Copper  Coin — Provincial  Cur- 
rency compared  with  Sterling  and  with  Dollars — 
New  York  Currency  in  the  Province. 

BEFORE  we  consider  the  subjects  of  revenue  and 
taxes,  it  will  be  proper  to  attend  to  the  currency  of 
the  province. 

The  value  of  gold  and  silver  coins  here  current, 
is  established  by  law  at  the  following  rates : 

Dwt.  Gr.       £.    s.    d. 

The  British  Guinea,  weighing       56         134 

The  Portuguese  Johannes  18     0         400 

Ditto         Moidore  6   18          1    10     0 

Spanish  milled  Doubloon,  orl 

0.      ,       .  >    17     0         3   14     6 

four  Pistole  pieces       -     -J 

French   Louis  d'or,    coined > 

before  1793     -    -    -    -    I  *     *  '     9     8 

French  Pistole  piece     ---  44  0183 

American  Eagle       ----116  2100 

British  Crown     -----  0     5     6 

French  do.  coined  before  1793  056 

Spanish  Dollar        -      -     -     -  050 

American  do.      -----  050 

French  piece  of  four  Livres,~j 
ten  Sols  Tournois     -     -    j» 

Do.  Thirty-six  Sols  -     -     -  0     1     8 


216  SKETCHES   OF 

Dwt.  Gr.  £.     s.     d. 

French  piece  of  Twenty-four  Sols Oil 

English  Shilling       -     -     -     -      0     1      1 

Spanish  Pistareen  0     1     0 

And  all  the  higher  and  lower  denominations  of  the 
said  gold  and  silver  coins  in  the  same  proportion, 
two  pence  and  one  farthing  to  be  added  or  de- 
ducted for  every  grain  of  British,  Portuguese,  or 
American  gold  ;  and  two  pence  and  one-fifth  of  a 
penny  for  every  grain  of  French  or  Spanish  gold 
over  or  under  the  standard  weight. 

Upon  a  payment  of  more  than  ,£20.  in  gold,  at 
the  request  of  either  party,  it  is  to  be  weighed  in 
bulk,  the  coins  of  Great  Britain,  Portugal,  and 
America  together,  at  the  rate  of  eighty-nine  shil- 
lings for  each  ounce  troy  ;  and  those  of  France  and 
Spain  together,  at  the  rate  of  eighty-seven  shillings 
and  eight-pence  halfpenny  for  each  ounce ;  after 
deducting  one  half  of  a  grain  for  each  piece  so 
weighed,  on  account  of  the  loss  which  may  accrue, 
by  paying  it  away  in  detail. 

Before  1809,  several  of  the  gold  coins  were 
differently  valued;  but  this  standard  was  then 
established  in  conformity  to  that  of  the  Lower 
Province.  The  currency  of  Halifax  and  the  Two 
Canadas  is  the  s  me. 

American  eagles  and  half  eagles  commonly  pass 
without  being  weighed ;  all  other  gold  coin  by 
weight. 

The  value  of  copper  coins  is  not  regulated  by 
statute  ;  yet  coppers  pass  two  of  them  for  a  penny, 
without  much  discrimination;  but  no  person  is 


UPPER   CANADA.  217 

obliged  by  law  to  receive,  at  one  payment,  more 
than  a  shilling  in  copper  money. 

From  the  foregoing  rates  of  the  value  of  coins 
established  by  law,  it  will  be  perceived,  that  one 
pound  of  the  lawful  money  of  this  province  is  equal 
to  four  dollars,  or  eighteen  shillings  sterling,  that  is 
nine-tenths  of  a  pound  sterling. 

From  a  little  east  of  York,  the  currency  of  the 
state  of  New  York  is  in  general  popular  use  through 
all  the  southern  and  western  parts  of  this  province. 


SKETCH  XXII. 


REVENUE  AND  TAXES. 

Effect  of  the  Engagement  of  the  British  Parliament 
not  to  tax  the  Provinces — British  Impost  Duties 
collected  at  Quebec — Their  Appropriation — Du- 
ties collected  by  Lower  Canada  on  Goods  consumed 
in  Upper  Canada  —  Duties  collected  in  Upper 
Canada  on  Goods  imported  from  the  United 
States  —  Principal  Officers  of  Provincial  Go- 
vernment paid  by  the  Crown  —  Amount  and 
Sources  of  Provincial  Revenue — District  Taxes 
— Statute  Labour  on  Highwai/s. 

THE  engagement  of  the  British  parliament  not 
to  tax  the  provinces  is  understood  to  be  prospec- 
tive, and  not  retrospective,  renouncing  future  tax- 
ation, but  not  repealing  taxes  already  laid. 


218  SKETCHES    OF 

There  was  then  in  force,  an  act  of  parliament 
entitled,  "  an  Act  to  establish  a  fund  towards 
further  defraying  the  charges  of  the  administration 
of  justice  and  support  of  the  civil  government, 
within  the  province  of  Quebec  in  America/'  laying 
certain  duties  on  brandies,  rum,  spirits,  molasses, 
and  sirups  imported  into  the  said  province,  and 
also  a  duty  of  one  pound  and  sixteen  shillings 
sterling  on  each  annual  licence,  to  keep  a  tavern  or 
retail  wines  and  spirituous  liquors,  and  appropriat- 
ing the  proceeds  of  said  impost  duties  to  the 
objects  expressed  in  the  title  of  the  act. 

These  duties  continue  to  be  collected,  the  im- 
posts at  Quebec,  and  the  licence  duties  in  each 
province,  to  his  Majesty's  use. 

After  the  division  of  the  province  of  Quebec 
into  Upper  and  Lower  Canada,  the  legislature  of 
the  Lower  Province  laid  impost  duties,  for  pro- 
vincial uses,  in  addition  to  those  laid  by  the 
British  parliament.  As  the  goods  thus  dutied 
were  in  part  consumed  in  the  Upper  Province, 
and  as  the  consumer  ultimately  pays  the  duty,  this 
additional  impost,  although  collected  by  that  pro- 
vince, operated  as  a  tax  upon  this.  To  prevent  the 
injustice  of  such  operation,  an  agreement  has  been 
entered  into  between  the  two  provinces,  that  the 
dutied  goods  passing  from  the  Lower  to  the  Upper 
Province,  shall  be  entered  at  Coteau-du-Lac,  and 
the  net  proceeds  of  the  duties  on  such  a  proportion 
of  the  imported  goods,  shall  be  paid  over  to  the 
latter. 

The  legislature  of  Upper  Canada,  in  the  41st 
3 


UPPER    CANADA.  219 

year  of  the  present  king  (1801),  enacted  that  there 
should  be  raised,  levied,  collected,  and  paid  into 
the  hands  of  the  receiver  general,  as  treasurer  of 
the  province,  to  and  for  the  use  of  his  Majesty,  and 
to  and  for  the  uses  of  the  province,  the  like  duties 
on  all  goods  imported  into  the  province  from  the 
United  States,  as  are  laid,  levied,  and  collected 
under  and  by  virtue  of  any  act  of  the  parliament 
of  Great  Britain,  or  of  any  provincial  act  of  Lower 
Canada,  on  goods  imported  from  Great  Britain,  or 
parts  beyond  the  seas  ;  establishing  in  this  province 
ports  of  entry  and  clearance,  providing  for  the 
appointment  of  collectors,  and  directing  them  to 
collect  and  pay  over,  report  and  account  for  all 
duties  thus  levied  "  under  and  by  virtue  of  any 
act  or  acts  of  the  parliament  of  Great  Britain,  or 
under  and  by  virtue  of  this  act/' 

The  duties  thus  collected,  to  the  amount  of  the 
sums  specified  in  the  above  stated  act  of  the  British 
parliament,  being  distinguished  from  the  residue, 
are  considered  as  belonging  to  his  Majesty,  and  not 
to  the  province,  and  are  accounted  for  accordingly, 
upon  the  principle  that  they  are  levied  under  and 
by  virtue  of  that  act,  although  their  collection  is 
provided  for  by  a  provincial  act.  But  some  gen- 
tlemen in  the  province  are  of  a  different  opinion, 
and  have  contended  that  they  ought  to  be  consi- 
dered as  levied  by  provincial  authority,  and  be- 
longing to  the  province. 

Since  the  division  of  the  old  province  into  Upper 
and  Lower  Canada,  the  chief  officers  of  government 
have  been  paid  by  the  crown.  It  is  understood 
that  the  fund  collected  for  the  purpose  is  not  equal 


220  SKETCHES   OF 

to  the  whole  amount  of  the  civil  list,  a  part  of 
which  is  consequently  supplied  from  some  other 
source.  Whether  the  grants  and  leases  of  crown 
lands  in  this  province,  furnish  such  supply,  I  know 
not,  though  there  is  very  little  doubt  that  the  rents 
of  the  reserved  lands  of  the  crown,  if  applied  to  that 
use,  will  eventually  be  sufficient*. 

As  the  principal  expenses  of  the  civil  list  are 
thus  defrayed  by  the  crown,  the  expenditures  of 
the  province  are  moderate,  and  the  provincial 
revenue  is  proportionally  small.  It  arises  first 
from  the  duties  collected  in  the  Lower  Province, 
on  goods  entered  at  Coteau-du-Lac,  on  their  pas- 
sage up  to  this  province,  the  amount  of  which, 
for  the  year  1810,  according  to  the  annexed  state- 
ment, was  £4848  12  11 

2d.  The  duties  on  goods  imported 
^     from  the  United  States,  supposed 

to  amount  annually  to  about    -     1500     0     0 
3d.   Duties   on    tavern    and    shop 

licences,  in  addition  to  those  laid 

by  the  British  parliament,  and  on 

still  licences,  the  net  amount  of 

all  which  for  1810,  was    -     -     -1304     0     0 
4th.  Duties  on  licences  to  hawkers, 

pedlars,     and     petty     chapmen, 

amounting  in  1810  to      -      -      -     420     0     0 


J8072   12   11 


*  Lower  Canada,  since  1816,  has  discharged  its  own  civil  list. 
The  vote  of  the  Imperial  Parliament  for  the  Upper  Province  was 
this  year,  1820,  £10,800.— R.  G. 


UPPER   CANADA. 


221 


A  Statement  of  Goods  entered  at  Coteau-du-Lac,  in 
1809  and  1810,  with  the  Duties  for  the  last  Year. 


In  1809. 

In  1810. 

n!809. 

n!810. 

Gallons,  Jamaica  Spi- 
rits or  Rum  86,207 
Gallons.ForeignBran- 
dy  and  Spirits  8,415 
Gallons,    Molasses'..     1,656£ 
Gallons,         Madeira 
Wine  3,375 

£     t.    d. 
87,692£  at  6d.  2,192    6    3 

Il,748iat6d.     293  14    3 
9l3£at5d.        19    0     7| 

2,888£  at  9d.     106    8  10£ 
22,lll£at6d.      552  15    9 
50,227   at  Id.      209    5    7 
95,156   at|d.      198    4  10£ 

786£ 

965£ 
193 

267 
690| 

3,087| 
82 

1,1591 

40,5381 
36 

18,5381 

22  910| 

3,6671 

1,347 
96 

622 

1,980 

16,476£ 
615 

1,736£ 
69,206i 
23,773 

15,910| 
2,447 
1,923 

Gallons,      of      other 
Wines  than  Madeira  16,374 
Pounds,  Loaf  or  Lump 
Sugar  61,797£ 

Pounds,    Muscovado 
Sugar  132,203 

Pounds,  Coffee  9,877| 
Do.  Snuff,  or  Flower 
of  Tobacco  5,101 

5,481    at2d.        45  13     6 
3,038   at4d.        50  12    0 

22,8  Il£  at  3d.     285    2  10£ 
1,814    at2d.        15     2     4 
4,751    at4d.        79    3    8 

45,558   at4d.      759     7     6 
944    at2d.          7  17     4 
1,355    at6d.        33  17     6 

Pounds,  Manufactur- 
ed Tobacco  23,9  10| 

Packs,  Playing  Cards     1  ,768 
Minots*  of  Salt  9,322^ 
Pounds,  Green  Teas, 
Souchong  34,047^ 

Pounds,  Bohea  Tea...     2,320 
Do.  Hyson,  Do  2,836£ 

3,911; 

2,267: 

.£4,848  12  11 

A  Statement  of 
Dutied  Goods 
Imported 
from     the 
United  States 
in  1809    and 
1810. 


A  Statement  of  MONEYS  collected  within  the  several  Districts  on 
Shop,  Innkeepers,  and  Still  Licences,  issued  between  January  5, 
1810,  and  January  5,  1811,  after  deducting  the  Inspector's  Com- 
mission of  10  per  cent. 


No.  of  Shop 
Licences. 

No.  of  Innkeep- 
ers Licences. 

Stills—  No.  of 
Gallons. 

Net  Revenue. 

Home  District 
London  
Niagara  
Johnstown  .  .  . 
Eastern  

19 

3 

31 
13 
15 

19 
8 
47 
43 
52 

2022 
1909 
4120 
21 
40 

£     s.    d. 
147  18     9 
117    6    2| 
301  18    9 
61  14     1| 
62  It     0 

Newcastle  .  .  . 
Western  
Midland  
St.  Joseph's.  . 

2 
22 
23 
4 

19 
10 
66 

1293 
2412 
4849| 

91   12     74 
164    9    6 
352  17  ll| 
3  12    0 

Total.. 

132 

264 

16.847* 

1304     1   11  A 

*  A  minot  is  a  French  measure  equal  to  a  bushel  and  an  eighth  of  Win- 
chester measure. 


222  SKETCHES   OF 

The  number  of  hawkers,  pedlars,  and  petty  chap- 
men, licensed  in  1810,  was  seventy-six.  The  duties 
on  their  Licences,  after  deducting  the  inspector's 
10  per  cent.,  amounted  to  <£420. 

There  is  no  provincial  direct  tax.  The  only  tax 
of  that  nature  is  a  district  tax  for  defraying  the 
expences  of  the  several  districts.  The  court  of 
sessions  in  each  district,  determine  the  amount  of 
it,  under  certain  limitations  of  law,  and  apportion 
it  according  to  an  assessment  List  returned  by  the 
assessors  of  each  township,  containing  the  name  of 
every  person  possessed  of  property,  subject  to  tax- 
ation, with  a  statement  of  his  t  taxable  articles,  viz. 
lands  cultivated  and  uncultivated,  houses  of  various 
specified  descriptions,  mills,  stores,  shops,  horses 
and  cattle.  The  rateable  value  of  these  several 
articles  is  not  estimated  by  the  assessors,  but  fixed 
by  law  ;  and  a  person  possessing  no  such  property 
is  not  assessed  at  all. 

The  direct  taxes  of  the  several  districts,  for 
year,  ending  March  1,  1811,  were  as  follows  : 

Eastern  District -    -  J627     8  ,2 

Johnstown      .-------     4*5  J     8     If 

Midland 690  14     8 

Newcastle       --- 180     2     3$ 

Home  -    -    -    -    , 479     11  7| 

Niagara.      - 1060     4     5 

London 279  17     Sf 

Western -     364  10     1| 

Total*4,133   16     7 

*  Some  additional  duties  have  been  laid,  and  the  amount  of  the 
revenue  as  well  as  the  expenditures  of  the  province,  are  increased 
since  the  late  war. 


UPPER  CANADA.  223 

There  is  no  pauper  tax,  no  capitation,  no  tithes 
or  ecclesiastical  rates,  the  clergy  of  the  established 
church  being  provided  for  by  government,  from  a 
fund  growing  out  of  the  lands  reserved  for  that 
purpose,  and  by  the  Society  for  propagating  the 
Gospel;  and  those  of  the  dissenting  denominations 
being  supported  by  voluntary  contracts  with  their 
societies. 

Instead  of  highway  taxes,  every  person  includ- 
ed in  the  district  assessment,  is  required  to  perform 
not  less  than  three,  nor  more  than  twelve  days  la- 
bour annually  on  the  highways,  according  to  the 
list  of  his  rateable  estate.  The  apportionment  of 
this  statute  labour,  I  perceive,  is  a  subject  of  some 
popular  complaint ;  but  the  amount  of  it  is  light, 
compared  with  the  value  of  public  roads. 

No  country  in  the  world,  perhaps,  is  less  bur- 
dened with  taxes.  In  no  other  country  is  the  pro- 
duce of  labour  left  to  the  labourer's  own  use  and 
benefit,  more  undiminished  by  public  exactions 
or  deductions  in  favour  of  landlords  and  other  pri- 
vate persons ;  and  it  may,  with  great  truth  and 
propriety  be  added,  that  the  objects  of  labour,  es- 
pecially of  agricultural  labour,  the  most  useful  of 
all,  are  no  where  more  abundant,  in  proportion  to 
the  quantum  of  labour  expended  upon  them*. 

*  Here  is  the  important  question.  How  comes  it  that  Upper 
Canada,  with  all  these  benefits,  and  whose  settlement  began  ten 
years  before  that  of  the  country  running  parallel  with  it,  is  now 
ten  years  behind  that  country  in  improvement,  and  its  wild  land 
selling  in  the  market  at  a  third  of  the  price  which  similar  lands 
fetch  in  the  United  States?— R.  G. 


224  SKETCHES   OF 

SKETCH  XXIII. 

COMMERCE. 

Agriculture  and  Commerce  inseparably  connected — 
The  Natural  Commerce  of  the  Country — Imports 
— Ports  of  Entry  and  Clearance — Exports — In- 
spection— Course  of  Trade — Interest — Damages 
on  Protested  Bills — Sterling  Bills — No  Bank — 
Bank  Bills — Counterfeiting  foreign  Bilh — Cir- 
culating Specie — Army  Bills. 

MANY  circumstances  relating  to  the  commercial 
situation  of  the  country,  have  been  incidentally 
mentioned  under  different  heads,  and  need  not  be 
recapitulated. 

Although  agriculture  is  the  first  interest  of  Upper 
Canada,  as  it  employs  the  greatest  number  of 
hands,  and  produces  most  of  the  articles  of  prime 
necessity,  it  is  inseparably  connected  with  com- 
merce,  without  which  the  cultivators  of  the  soil 
could  not  be  supplied  with  many  of  the  comforts 
and  conveniences  of  life,  in  exchange  for  the  sur- 
plus produce  of  their  farms. 

Such  an  exchange  constitutes  the  natural  trade 
of  the  province.  It  is  negociated  by  the  merchants 
who  receive  and  market  the  productions  of  the 
country,  and  introduce  and  sell  such  goods,  wares* 
and  merchandise,  as  the  inhabitants  want  for  their 
consumption. 

These  are  principally  British  manufactures,  and 


\  \ 

UPPER   CANAtoA.  225 

products,  imported  from  Liverpool,  Bristol,  and 
Glasgow,  by  the  way  of  Montreal.  Some  of  them, 
however,  in  times  of  ordinary  intercourse,  have 
heretofore  come  through  New  York,  and  other 
ports  of  the  United  States*.  But  the  statements 
in  the  last  Sketch,  will  not  satisfactorily  shew 
the  relative  amounts  or  proportions  even  of  dutied 
goods  introduced  through  these  respective  channels 
of  importation.  For  some  of  the  articles  brought 
from  the  United  States  into  Lower  Canada,  are 
forwarded  from  thence  to  the  Upper  Province,  and 
form  a  part  of  the  entries  at  Coteau-du-Lac.  The 
tobacco,  for  instance,  entered  there  is  most  of  it 
of  American  growth. 

The  ports  of  entry  and  clearance,  opened  in  the 
province  for  communication  with  the  United  States, 
are  Cornwall,  Johnstown,  Kingston,  Newcastle, 
York,  Niagara,  Queenston,  Fort  Erie, Turkey  Point, 
Amherstburgh  and  Sandwich.  In  such  an  extend- 
ed line  of  water  communication  there  are  places  of 
landing,  where,  it  is  supposed,  dutied  goods  are 
sometimes  smuggled  into  the  province. 

No  considerable  factories  of  cloth  are  establish- 
ed; but  the  farmers  by  their  household  manufac- 
tures, supply  their  families  with  most  of  their  or- 
dinary clothing. 

The  principal  exports  from  the  province  are 
lumber,  wheat  (which  is  generally  manufactured 

*  By  an  act  of  the  British  parliament,  no  goods,  wares,  or 
merchandise,  except  of  the  growth,  produce,  or  manufacture  of 
the  United  States,  can  now  be  imported  thence  into  the  province. 
Q 


226  SKETCHES   OF 

into  flour  before  it  is  sent  to  market),  peas,  pot 
and  pearl  ashes,  furs  and  peltries,  pork,  beef, 
and  butter.  Of  the  two  last  articles  but  small 
quantities  are  yet  furnished  for  exportation. 

Provision  is  made  by  law  for  the  inspection  of 
pot  and  pearl  ashes,  flour,  beef,  and  pork  ;  but  as 
these  exports  pass  through  Lower  Canada,  on  their 
way  to  market,  they  are  subject  to  reinspection 
there,  by  the  laws  of  that  province. 

By  a  statement  in  the  preceding  Sketch  of  Revenue 
and  Taxes,  it  may  be  seen  that  there  were,  in  1810, 
132  licensed  retailers.  At  the  same  time  there  were 
no  less  than  76  licensed  pedlars.  These  travelling 
traders  supply  the  interior  of  the  country  with 
light,  cheap  goods.  The  duty,  however,  on  their 
licences  is  now  raised,  with  a  view  to  suppress 
their  employment,  as  less  beneficial  than  that  of 
regular,  stationary  traders. 

Much  of  the  trade  of  the  country  is  a  species 
of  indirect  barter.  The  merchant  trusts  his  cus- 
tomers with  goods,  and,  at  the  proper  season,  re- 
ceives their  produce  in  payment,  and  forwards  it 
by  way  of  remittance  to  the  importer.  In  this 
manner  farmers  frequently  anticipate  their  crops, 
and  if  these  are  cut  short,  too  often  remain  in  debt 
to  the  merchant,  whose  occasion  for  punctual  pay- 
ment compels  him,  in  such  cases,  to  complain  of 
the  difficulty  of  collecting  debts,  while  interest 
is  accumulating  against  him  and  them.  At 
present  the  inhabitants  are  generally  less  in- 
debted than  they  were  before  the  war.  The  pub- 
lic expenditures  threw  into  circulation  an  unusual 


UPPER   CANADA.  227 

quantity  of  money,  or  what  passed  for  money,  and 
thereby  facilitated  the  collection  and  payment  of 
debts. 

The  lawful  rate  of  interest  is  six  per  cent.  This 
regulation  of  interest,  different  from  that  of  the 
mother  country,  and  the  neighbouring  state  of 
New  York,  the  former  of  which  is  five  per  cent, 
and  the  latter  seven,  depended  upon  an  ordinance 
of  the  old  province  of  Quebec,  until  1811,  when 
a  statute  was  passed  by  the  legislature  of  Upper 
Canada  on  the  subject. 

The  same  act  has  established  the  damages  upon 
protested  bills  of  exchange  drawn  in  this  province 
on  Europe  or  the  West  Indies,  at  ten  per  cent, 
in  addition  to  the  interest,  besides  the  cost  of  not- 
ing, protesting,  and  postage;  and  four  per  cent, 
on  such  bills  drawn  here  on  any  part  of  North 
America,  except  the  West  Indies. 

Sterling  bills,  drawn  by  persons  entitled  to  full 
or  half  pay  from  government,  are  negociated  and 
remitted  by  merchants;  and,  in  many  instances, 
prevent  the  necessity  of  transmitting  money  across 
the  Atlantic. 

There  is  no  bank  in  the  province,  or  indeed  in 
any  of  the  British  provinces  in  America.  Some 
efforts  were  lately  made  to  procure  the  establish- 
ment of  one  at  Kingston*;  but  the  current  of  pub- 
lic opinion  was  perceived  to  set  so  strongly  against 
the  measure,  that  although  supported  by  advocates 

*  There  is  now  a  bank  established  at  Kingston,  and  two  at 
Montreal,  which  have  agents  throughout  Upper  Canada. — R.  G. 


228  SKETCHES   OF 

of  intelligence  and  respectability,  it  was  abandoned, 
without  even  presenting  the  petitions  for  incorpo- 
ration to  the  legislature*. 

Bills  of  the  bank  of  England  are  rarely  seen  here. 
Those  of  the  banks  in  the  United  States,  although 
discounted  by  a  few  individuals,  who  have  remit- 
tances to  make  to  the  States,  are  not  in  circulation. 
Besides  the  distrust  arising  from  the  foreign  situation 
of  those  banks,  the  number  of  counterfeits  among 
the  bills  brought  them  into  discredit.  They  were, 
indeed,  counterfeited  in  Canada  with  impunity, 
there  being  no  law  to  prohibit  or  punish  the  coun- 
terfeiting of  foreign  bills,  until  1810,  when  an  act 
was  passed  for  that  purpose  by  the  legislature  of 
Upper  Canada.  It  has  been  followed  by  a  similar 
act  in  the  Lower  Province. 

Most  of  the  circulating  specie  is  gold.  Its  plenty 
or  scarcity  is  affected  by  the  fluctuations  of  crops 
and  markets,  and  the  varying  state  of  commercial 
intercourse  with  the  United  States. 

Army  bills,  as  a  medium  of  circulation,  grew  out 
of  the  war.  They  were  substituted  for  specie,  of 
which  there  was  such  a  scarcity,  that  many  private 
individuals  issued  their  own  notes,  which  passed 
for  some  time  instead  of  cash. 


*  A  bill  was  afterwards  passed  for  an  incorporated  bank ;  but 
by  some  informality  did  not  receive  the  royal  sanction, — R.  G.. 


UPPER    CANADA.  229 

SKETCH  XXIV 

MILITIA. 

Persons  liable  to  do  Militia  Duty— Regiments— 
Battalions—  Companies—  Their  Officers—Annual 
Review— Company  Trainings— Temporary  Mi- 
litia Acts  during  the  War. 

THE  Militia  of  the  province  is  composed  of  the 
male  inhabitants  from  sixteen  to  sixty  years  of  age. 
They  are  formed  into  regiments  and  battalions,  by 
counties;  a  regiment  consisting  of  not  more  than 
ten,  nor  less  than  eight  companies ;  a  batta- 
lion of  not  more  than  eight,  nor  less  than  five  com- 
panies ;  and  a  company  of  not  more  than  fifty,  nor 
less  than  twenty  privates.  The  field  officers  of  a 
regiment  are,  a  colonel,  lieutenant-colonel,  and 
major :  those  of  a  battalion  are  a  lieutenant-colonel 
and  major  :  the  officers  of  a  company  are  a  captain, 
lieutenant,  and  ensign.  There  is  an  adjutant- 
general  for  the  province,  an  adjutant  for  each  regi- 
ment, and  no  intermediate  grade  of  officers  between 
the  colonels  and  the  governor,  who  is  commander 
in  chief,  and  appoints  and  commissions  all  the 
officers  in  his  Majesty's  name. 

The  colonels  assign  the  limits  of  the  companies. 
Each  colonel  is  required  by  law  to  call  out  his 
regiment,  to  be  reviewed  and  exercised  on  the 
4th  of  June,  his  Majesty's  birthday;  and  the  se- 
veral companies  are  to  be  called  out  by  their  cap- 
tains, not  less  than  twice,  nor  more  than  four  times 
a  year,  for  inspection  of  arms  and  instruction  in 
discipline. 


230  SKETCHES  OF 

Those  who  are  fifty  years  of  age  are  not  obliged 
to  attend,  except  at  the  annual  reviews. 

The  militia  are  numerous,  in  proportion  to  the 
whole  number  of  inhabitants.  They  are  not  uni- 
formed, and  but  imperfectly  armed,  although  re- 
quired by  law  to  own  arms,  unless  excused  by 
their  officers  for  inability  to  procure  them.  In  the 
late  war  they  were  furnished  with  King's  arms. 
Their  officers  are  generally  older  in  years  and  in 
office  than  those  of  the  militia  in  the  States, 
where  there  are  more  grades  of  rank,  and  more  ex- 
emptions, and  where  resignations,  promotions,  and 
successions  are  more  frequent. 

During  the  war,  militia  acts,  adapted  to  the 
state  of  the  times,  were  passed  for  a  limited  term, 
repealing,  by  a  general  clause,  all  former  laws  on 
the  subject.  At  the  close  of  the  war  those  tempo- 
rary acts  expired  by  their  own  limitation.  Of 
course  the  old  militia  law  revived. 

In  the  course  of  the  war,  provision  was  made  by 
law  for  allowing  pensions  to  militiamen,  disabled 
by  wounds,  and  to  the  widows  and  orphan  children 
of  such  as  were  killed  in  battle.  The  pension  list 
has  since  been  extended  to  cases  of  persons  disabled, 
and  the  families  of  persons  deceased,  from  sickness 
contracted  by  means  of  actual  service  in  the  militia. 
A  general  agent  of  militia  pensions  has  been  pro- 
vided for  and  appointed,  A  provincial  aide-de-camp 
to  the  governor  has  been  added  to  the  organization 
of  the  militia*. 

*  And  at  the  session  of  the  legislature  in  1816,  it  has  been 


UPPER   CANADA.  231 

SKETCH  XXV. 


RELIGION    AND   ECCLESIASTIC  INSTI- 
TUTIONS. 

TAe  Episcopal  Church  supported  by  Government — 
Clergy  Reserves — Lieutenant- Governor's  Autho- 
rity to  endow  Parsonages  and  Rectories,  and 
present  Incumbents — Number,  Stations,  and  Sup- 
port of  Episcopal  Clergymen — Bishop — Dissenters 
protected  by  Law— Denominations  of  Dissenters. 

THE  episcopal  form  of  religion,  according  to  the 
establishment  of  the  Church  of  England,  is  sup- 
ported by  the  government  of  this  province.  The 
constitutional  act  provided  for  a  reservation  of 
lands  equal  to  one  seventh  part  of  all  the  lands 
then  granted,  and  to  be  granted.  These  reserves, 
altogether  distinct  and  different  from  those  of  an- 
other seventh,  called  the  crown  reserves,  were  re- 
enacted  in  amendment  of  the  old  militia  law,  that  nothing  con- 
tained therein  "  shall  extend,  or  be  construed  to  extend  to  oblige 
any  person  to  enrol  himself  in  the  militia  of  the  province,  unless 
such  person  is  a  natural  born  subject  of  his  Majesty,  naturalized 
by  an  act  of  the  British  parliament,  or  a  subject  of  his  Majesty, 
having  become  such  by  the  cession  of  Canada,  or  a  person  who 
has  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance ;  but  that,  in  all  cases,  such  per- 
sons as  are  not  liable  to  be  called  upon  for  the  defence  of  the 
province  in  case  of  invasion,  shall  be  excluded  from  the  rolls  of 
the  militia  of  the  same,  any  thing  in  the  before-mentioned  act 
to  the  contrary  notwithstanding." 


232  SKETCHES    OF 

quired  to  be  specified  in  the  patents,  and  are  ap- 
propriated exclusively  to  the  maintenance  of  a 
Protestant  clergy  in  the  province. 

Under  instructions  from  the  crown,  the  lieute- 
nant-governor is  empowered  to  erect  parsonages 
or  rectories  in  the  several  townships ;  to  endow 
them  with  any  proportion  of  the  lands  reserved  in 
respect  of  such  townships,  and  to  present  incum- 
bents, subject  to  the  bishop's  right  of  institution. 

At  present,  these  reserved  lands  are  leased  by 
government,  as  lessees  apply  for  them,  for  twenty- 
one  years,  at  moderate  rents,  which  go  into  the 
funds  destined  to  support  the  clergy,  and  will 
eventually  furnish  a  very  ample  support.  The 
clergy  reserves,  and  crown  reserves,  are  leased  on 
the  same  terms.  The  rent  of  a  lot  of  200  acres, 
taken  in  its  uncultivated  state,  has  been  ten  shillings 
a  year  for  the  first  seven  years,  twenty  shillings  a 
year  for  the  second  seven  years,  and  one  pound  ten 
shillings  a  year  for  the  last  seven  years  of  the  lease. 
Orders,  I  believe,  have  lately  been  issued  for  doub- 
ling the  sums  to  be  reserved  on  lots  hereafter 
leased.  Whether  the  raising  of  the  rents  will  pro- 
portionably  increase  the  income,  or  prevent  appli- 
cations for  leases,  is  a  question  on  which  theoretic 
reasoners  differ,  but  which  will  be  determined  by 
the  experiment. 

There  is  only  one  bishop  for  the  two  provinces 
of  Upper  and  Lower  Canada,  and  he  resides  at 
Quebec. 

T<  :',   •  . 

In  Upper  Canada  there  are  six  ministers  of  the 
church  of  England,  situated  at  Cornwall,  Kingston, 


UPPER   CANADA.  233 

Ernest  Town,  and  Fredericksburgh*,  York,  Nia- 
gara, and  Sandwich.  They  severally  receive  £100 
per  annum  from  government,  and  £50  from  the  So- 
ciety for  Propagating  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts. 
They  solemnize  marriages  ;  but  there  is  no  eccle- 
siastical court  in  the  province. 

Dissenters  of  all  denominations  are  tolerated 
and  protected  by  law.  They  are  not  subject  to 
tithes,  or  civil  disabilities,  nor  disqualified  for 
offices,  or  a  seat  in  the  legislature.  Their  contracts 
respecting  the  support  of  public  worship  are  legally 
enforceable.  Ordained  ministers  of  the  Scotch, 
Lutheran,  and  Calvinist  churches,  upon  producing 
satisfactory  credentials  in  a  court  of  sessions,  are 
authorized  to  perform  marriages,  where  one  of  the 
parties  to  be  married  is  a  member  of  their  respective 
societies.  Any  denomination,  holding  the  distin- 
guishing Calvinistic  doctrines,  are  included  under 
the  term  Calvinist.  As  such,  Presbyterian,  Con- 
gregational, and  Baptist  clergymen,  exercise  the 
power  of  marriage. 

The  dissenting  denominations  are,  Presbyterians, 
Lutherans,  Methodists,  Congregatiohalists,  Mora- 
vians, Anabaptists,  Roman  Catholics,  Quakers, 
Menonists,  and  Tunkers.  Several  of  them  are 
more  numerous  than  the  Episcopalians.  The  most 
numerous  of  all  are  the  Methodists,  who  are  spread 
over  the  whole  province.  They  are  followers  of 


*  The  rectory  of  Ernest  Town  and  Fredericksburgh  has  become 
vacant  by  the  return  of  the  Rev.  John  Langhorn  to  his  native  place 
in  England. 


234  SKETCHES   OF 

Wesley  as  to  doctrines,  and  acknowledge  the  epis- 
copal authority  of  the  Wesleyan  bishops.  Next  in 
number  are  the  Presbyterians,  who  are  of  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Church,  the  Church  of  Scotland,  and 
Scotch  Seceders,  or  the  Associate  Reformed  Synod. 
The  Presbyterians  appear  to  be  increasing  in  num- 
bers and  respectability. 

The  Roman  Catholics,  who  are  comparatively 
few,  are  attached  to  the  government,  and  grateful 
for  the  religious  freedom  which  they  enjoy,  and  by 
which  they  are  distinguished  from  their  brethren  in 
Ireland. 

Quakers,  Merionists,  and  Tunkers,  being  con- 
scientiously scrupulous  of  bearing  arms,  are  con- 
ditionally exempted  from  militia  duties. 


SKETCH  XXVI. 


PROFESSION  AND  PRACTICE  OF  LAW. 

Licenses  to  practise  under  former  Acts — Law  Society 
established — Term  of  Apprenticeship  required — 
Number  of  Apprentices  allowed  each  Barrister. 

IN  the  early  stages  of  the  province,  gentlemen 
were  admitted  to  the  bar  by  licence  from  the  lieute- 
nant-governor, specially  provided  for  by  two  suc- 
cessive acts  of  the  legislature.  But  in  1797,  those 
who  were  then  in  practice  were  authorized  to  form 
themselves  into  a  society,  by  the  name  of  The  Law 


UPPER   CANADA.  235 

Society  of  Upper  Canada,  and  to  establish  rules 
and  regulations,  under  the  inspection  of  the  judges ; 
and  it  was  enacted,  that  no  other  person,  except 
licensed  practitioners  from  some  other  British  pro- 
vince or  dominion,  shall  be  permitted  to  practise 
at  the  bar  of  any  of  his  Majesty's  courts  in  this 
province,  unless  he  shall  have  been  previously  en- 
tered of,  and  admitted  into,  the  said  society,  as  a 
student  of  law,  and  shall  have  been  standing  in 
their  books  for  five  years,  and  have  conformed  him- 
self to  their  rules  and  regulations,  and  been  duly 
called  and  admitted  as  a  barrister. 

The  society  was  accordingly  organized,  and  the 
act  still  remains  in  force.  Every  barrister  is  now 
allowed  to  have  four  apprentices  or  clerks. 


SKETCH  XXVII. 

PHYSIC  AND  SURGERY. 

Quebec  Ordinance  requiring  a  Licence — Provincial 
Act,  repealing  former  Laws,  and  "establishing  a 
Board  of  Examiners—Repeal  of  that  Act— New 
Licence  Law. 

ONE  of  the  ordinances  of  the  province  of  Quebec 
prohibited  the  practice  of  physic  or  surgery  by  any 
person  not  licensed  in  the  manner  therein  pre- 
scribed. 

In  1793,  an  act  of  the  legislature  of  Upper  Ca- 
nada, repealing,  in  general  terms,  all  former  laws  on 


236  SKETCHES    Ol? 

the  subject,  established  a  board  for  examining  and 
licensing  medical  candidates.     From  the  state  of 
the  province  it  became  impossible  to  form  such  a 
board    of  examiners,   and  the   act   was   repealed. 
Many  physicians    and  surgeons    have   gone   into 
practice  without  any  provincial  licence,  supposing 
there  was  no  prohibition,  and  not  suspecting  that 
an  old  ordinance  of  the  former  province  of  Quebec, 
which  was  not  executed  and  had  not  been  published 
among  the  laws  of  this  province,  was  revived  by  a 
repeal  of  the  provincial  act,  so  as  to  be  in  force  here. 
An  act  passed   in    1815    has    established    a   new 
licensing  board,  to  consist  of  the  senior  army  phy- 
sician or  surgeon,  with  one  other  practitioner,  re- 
gularly licensed  in  some  of  the  British  dominions. 
It  subjects  to  a  penalty  of  £  100  every  person  prac- 
tising, after  the  date  of  the  act,  as  a  physician,  sur- 
geon, or  male-midwife,  without  a  licence,  excepting, 
however,  any  one   who  has    had    a  warrant  as  a 
surgeon  or  surgeon's  mate  in  the  army  or  navy. 

'.y>-        _ 

SKETCH  XXVIII. 


TRADES  AND  APPRENTICESHIPS. 

British  Statute  not  in  force  here — No  Provincial 
Act  on  the  Subject. 

THE  statute  of  Elizabeth,  requiring  seven  years 
apprenticeship  before  the  exercise  of  a  trade,  being 
local  in  its  application,  is  not  considered  to  be  ap- 


UPPER   CANADA.  237 

plicable  to  this  province ;  and  no  provincial  act  has 
been  passed  on  the  subject.  Any  mechanic,  there- 
fore, is  at  liberty  to  set  up  his  trade,  whether  he 
has  served  a  stated  term  of  apprenticeship  or  not. 
But  as  the  same  liberty  is  common  to  others,  and 
customers  left  to  their  own  choice  will  employ  the 
best  workmen,  he  cannot  expect  employment  and 
success  without  skill  in  his  trade ;  and  that  is  not 
ordinarily  acquired  without  an  apprenticeship,  or 
regular  education  for  the  business.  In  this  view 
apprenticeships  are  useful  and  necessary ;  and  con- 
tracts for  them,  in  the  usual  form  of  indentures,  are 
respected  and  enforced  by  law*. 

*  The  above  statement  of  the  inapplicability  of  the  English  law 
of  apprenticeship  to  this  province  has  been  controverted  by  a  bar- 
rister of  great  respectability,  who  did  me  the  favour  to  examine 
these  Sketches  in  manuscript,  and  who  thinks  that,  though  not 
executed,  that  law  is  in  force  under  the  general  adoption  of  the  laws 
of  England,  and  would  be  so  decided  if  the  question  were  brought 
before  the  court  of  King's  Bench.  I  have  reconsidered  the  subject, 
but  cannot  agree  with  him.  It  is  a  settled  rule,  that  penal  and  re- 
straining laws  are  to  receive  a  strict  construction.  Such  is  the  cha- 
racter of  this  law.  It  subjects  to  a  penalty,  and  is  in  restraint  of 
natural  right.  It  is  accordingly  construed  so  strictly  in  West- 
minster Hall,  that  trades  invented  since  the  date  of  the  act  have 
been  holden  to  be  free,  and  not  prohibited.  It  has  also  been  ad- 
judged, that  the  prohibition  is  confined  to  market  towns  and  pa- 
rishes, and  that  in  extra-parochial  places,  any  person  may  exercise 
a  trade.  This  whole  province  may  be  considered  to  be  extra-paro- 
chial, there  being  no  parishes  in  it  in  the  English  sense  of  the  term, 
subject  to  tithes,  support  of  paupers,  and  other  charges,  and  local 
restrictions;  one  of  which  is,  the  restriction  of  trades  without  ap- 
prenticeship. But  there  having  been  no  decision  to  this  effect,  the 
opinion  here  expressed  may  prove  erroneous. 


238  SKETCHES  OP 

SKETCH  XXIX. 

^ 

IMPRISONMENT  FOR  DEBT,  INSOL- 
VENT LAWS,  AND  LIABILITY  OF 
LAND  FOR  DEBT. 

No  Capias,  but  in  case  of  a  Debt  certain,  and  above 
40s.— Oath  required  before  taking  out  a  Capias— 
A  poor  Debtor  to  be  discharged  from  Prison,  or 
supported  there  by  the  Creditor — Land  of  a  Debtor 
liable  to  Execution— No  Bankrupt  Law. 

PERSONAL  liberty  is  so  highly  respected  by  the 
laws  of  the  province,  that,  in  civil  actions,  the 
body  is  not  subject  to  arrest  or  imprisonment,  ex- 
cept in  a  case  of  debt  certain,  and  above  40  shil- 
lings, where  there  has  been  an  attempt,  or  is  an 
apparent  intention  to  avoid  payment.  Before  a 
capias  can  be  sued  out  as  mesne  process  or  execu- 
tion, the  creditor,  his  agent,  or  servant,  must  make 
affidavit  that  he  believes  the  debtor  is  about  leav- 
ing the  province,  with  an  intent  to  defraud  his 
creditors,  or  has  secreted  or  conveyed  his  effects,  to 
prevent  their  being  taken  in  execution. 

An  insolvent  debtor,  detained  in  prison  on  exe- 
cution, upon  applying  to  the  court,  and  making 
oath  that  he  is  not  worth  five  pounds,  is  entitled  to 
a  discharge  of  his  person,  or  a  dollar  a  week  for  his 
support,  to  be  paid  by  the  creditor  in  advance 
every  Monday,  unless  the  creditor  prove,  to  the 


UPPER   CANADA.  239 

satisfaction  of  the  court,  that  the  debtor  has  fraudu- 
lently secreted  or  conveyed  away  his  effects. 

Where  the  debt  does  not  exceed  £\0  sterling, 
and  the  debtor  has  been  imprisoned  a  month,  if  he 
makes  oath  that  he  is  not  worth  more  than  the 
amount  of  the  debt,  and  has  not  fraudulently  dis- 
posed of  any  property,  his  person  is  discharged ; 
but  any  estate  which  he  then  has,  or  may  there- 
after acquire,  remains  liable  for  the  debt. 

A  debtor's  land  is  liable  to  be  taken  and  sold  on 
execution,  after  a  writ  of  execution  against  his 
goods  and  chattels  is  returned  unsatisfied ;  and 
though  upon  a  person's  decease  his  land  descends 
to  his  heir  or  heirs,  according  to  the  rules  of  the 
common  law,  and  is  not  subject  to  administration, 
as  assets  for  the  payment  of  debts  ;  yet  it  is  ques- 
tioned whether  the  same  British  statute  which 
subjects  the  land  of  a  living  debtor  in  the  provinces 
to  the  payment  of  debts,  be  not  applicable  to  the 
land  of  a  deceased  debtor.  If  this  be  the  true  con- 
struction of  the  Jaw,  the  jurisdiction  of  the  court  of 
probate,  and  of  executors  and  administrators,  should 
be  extended  to  the  administration  of  lands  in  such 
cases. 

There  is  no  bankrupt  law  in  the  province.  In 
the  general  adoption  of  English  laws,  those  respect- 
ing bankrupts  were  expressly  excepted  ;  and  the 
provincial  legislature  have  made  no  provision  on 
the  subject. 

In  cases  of  failure  and  insolvency,  traders  stand 
on  the  same  ground  with  other  debtors, 

2 


240  SKETCHES   OF 

SKETCH  XXX. 

.?  *<3ub   . 

*" 

GRADUAL  ABOLITION  OF  SLAVERY, 

Importation  of  Slaves  prohibited — The  Right  of 
Masters  to  their  Slaves  confirmed— Their  Chil- 
dren to  be  free  at  25. 

THE  common  law  of  England  does  not  admit  of 
slavery.  But  an  act  of  parliament  authorized  the 
governor  of  the  province  of  Quebec,  to  license  the 
importation  of  slaves.  Under  that  authority  a 
few  negro  slaves  were  introduced  before  the  divi- 
sion of  the  province.  At  the  second  session  of  the 
legislature  of  Upper  Canada,  in  1793,  the  further 
importation  of  them  was  prohibited  ;  and  voluntary 
contracts  for  personal  service  were  limited  to  a 
term  not  exceeding  nine  years.  As  to  slaves 
theretofore  imported  under  authorized  licences,  the 
property  of  their  masters  was  confirmed;  but  pro- 
vision was  made,  that  the  children  of  such  slaves, 
born  after  the  passing  of  the  act,  should  be  free  at 
the  age  of  25  years  ;  and  that  their  births  should 
be  registered,  to  furnish  evidence  of  their  age.  It 
was  further  declared,  that  if  such  minors,  during 
their  term  of  servitude,  should  have  children  born, 
those  children  should  be  entitled  to  all  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  freemen.  Of  course  they  cannot 
be  holden  to  service  after  the  age  of  21  years. 


UPPER   CANADA. 


The  principle  of  this  gradual  abolition  of  slavery, 
is  similar  to  that  of  some  of  the  American  States. 

The  number  of  slaves  in  the  province  is  very 
small. 


SKETCH  XXXI. 


PRICE    OF    LAND,   AND  ENCOURAGE- 
MENT TO  SETTLERS. 

Lots  granted  to  actual  Settlers  upon  paying  Office 
Fees  and  performing  settling  Duties — The  Policy 
of  encouraging  Settlements — Labour  the  Standard 
of  Value  and  Means  of  Wealth,  and  the  Quantum 
of  Labour  proportioned  to  the  Population — Exam- 
ple of  New  York — Lands  there  four  times  as 
valuable  as  similar  Lands  in  this  Province. 

ACCORDING  to  a  fundamental  maxim  of  the 
English  constitution,  all  public  lands  are  vested  in 
the  crown ;  and  the  discretionary  disposal  of  them, 
unless  regulated  by  some  act  of  parliament,  assented 
to  by  the  King,  is  a  branch  of  the  royal  prerogative. 

In  the  exercise  of  that  discretion,  his  Majesty 
has  heretofore  thought  proper  to  grant  lots  of  200 
acres  of  the  waste  or  wild  lands  of  the  crown  in 
this  province,  to  settlers,  upon  their  payment  of 
certain  fees  and  charges,  and  performance  of  cer- 
tain settling  duties.  The  charges  of  surveying,  and 
fees  of  office,  amount  to  about  37  dollars  on  a  lot; 
and  the  duties  of  settlement  required,  are  the  clear- 

R 


242  SKETCHES   OF 

ing  of  five  acres  of  the  land,  the  building  of  a 
house,  and  opening  of  the  road  across  the  front  of 
the  lot,  which  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  all  to  be  per- 
formed within  a  limited  time.  Upon  these  easy 
conditions,  the  lieutenant-governor  in  council, 
in  his  Majesty's  name,  has  granted  patents  of  land. 
But  an  applicant  for  such  a  grant,  whether  an 
European  or  American,  has  always  been  required 
to  satisfy  his  excellency  and  the  Council,  by  certifi- 
cates from  known  characters,  or  other  testimonials, 
that  he  is  a  person  likely  to  be  a  wholesome  inha- 
bitant, and  intends  actually  to  settle  upon  the 
lands. 

Since  the  late  war  with  the  United  States,  great 
efforts  have  been  made  to  introduce  settlers  from 
the  British  European  dominions,  in  preference  to 
emigrants  from  the  States.  On  such  terms  lands 
are  granted  to  settlers.  The  object  evidently  is 
not  to  supply  the  means  of  speculation,  but  to  en- 
courage actual  settlements.  The  wisdom  of  this 
policy  is  obvious. 

The  best  writers  and  reasoners  on  political  eco- 
nomy, have  laid  down  as  an  axiom,  that  labour  is 
the  standard  of  value;  and  that  the  wealth,  the 
strength  and  importance  of  a  nation,  are  in  propor- 
tion to  its  quantum  of  productive  labour;  which, 
under  a  government  whose  laws  permit  voluntary 
employment  and  free  competition  in  business,  and 
protect  individuals  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits 
of  their  labour,  will  be  proportionate  to  the  number 
of  labourers.  Hence  the  importance  of  a  numerous 
population  in  any  country,  and  especially  in  one, 


UPPER   CANADA.  243 

where  the  objects  and  materials  of  labour,  particu- 
larly lands,  are  abundant,  and  consequently  cheap. 

The  neighbouring  state  of  New  York  furnishes 
a  fair  comparison  and  example.  The  northern 
and  western  districts  of  that  state  resemble  the 
adjacent  districts  of  Upper  Canada,  in  respect  to 
soil,  climate,  and  markets,  being  separated  only  by 
the  river  and  lakes,  four  or  five  hundred  miJes. 
The  states  have  wisely  encouraged  emigration  and 
settlement,  and  have  accordingly  received  such 
accessions  from  the  other  States  and  Europe,  in 
addition  to  their  own  multiplication,  that  their 
census  now  (1811)  contains  nearly  a  million  of 
inhabitants,  more  than  a  third  of  whom  have  been 
added  in  the  last  ten  years.  Their  wealth,  and 
strength,  and  resources,  and  the  value  of  their 
lauded  property,  have  progressed  with  their  popu- 
lation. Land  of  similar  quality  , and  corresponding 
situations,  although  once  very  cheap  there,  now 
bears  a  price  four  times  as  high  among  them  as 
among  their  neighbours  in  this  province. 

This  comparative  view  illustrates  the  wise  policy 
of  encouraging  the  settlement  of  the  province,  by 
granting  lots,  on  such  liberal  terms,  to  actual  settlers 
of  sober  and  industrious  habits. 

Other  landholders  have  no  reason  to  complain. 
Every  additional  labourer  adds  something  to  the 
general  stock. 

The  lands  already  cultivated  are  far  from  being 
carried  to  a  maturity  of  cultivation,  while  millions 
of  acres  of  fertile  soil,  still  remaining  in  their  natu- 
ral state,  are  waiting  for  the  hand  of  the  cultivator, 
R  2 


244  SKETCHES   OF 

to  render  them  productive,  and  thereby  raise  their 
value,  and  that  of  the  surrounding  mass,  and  thus 
increase  the  public  welfare. 

The  prosperity  of  a  nation  or  province  is  com- 
posed of  the  individual  prosperity  of  its  inhabitants  ; 
and  prosperous  individuals,  according  to  a  well 
known  principle  of  human  nature,  are  generally 
loyal  subjects  of  the  government  by  which  their 
persons  are  protected,  and  their  property  is  secured. 


SKETCH  XXXII 


STATE  OF  LEARNING. 

No  College  in   the  Province — No  Free  Schools 

District  Schools — Causes  of  the  former  Neglect  of 
Education—Little  Reading—Few  Books— Indi- 
cations of  a  favourable  Change— Multiplication 
of  Books — Social  Libraries — An  increasing  Taste 
for  Reading — A  Spirit  of  Improvement — -Am- 
bition  for  Academical  Learning  without  going 
abroad  for  it. 

THERE  is  no  college  in  Upper  Canada;  but  there 
are  said  to  be  several  townships  of  land  set  apart 
for  the  purpose  of  endowing  such  an  institution, 
when  the  population  and  circumstances  .of  the 
province  shall  require  it. 

No  provision  is  made  by  law  for  free  schools. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  several  townships  are  left 


UPPER  CANADA.  245 

to  a  voluntary  support  of  schools,  according  to  their 
own  discretion. 

An  act  of  the  provincial  legislature,  in  1807, 
granted  a  hundred  pounds  a  year  to  the  teacher  of 
one  school,  in  each  of  the  eight  districts  under  the 
direction  of  trustees.  In  some  districts  the  school 
thus  provided  for,  is  made  a  free  school ;  but  in 
other  districts  the  salary  is  considered  as  a  public 
encouragement  to  a  teacher  of  literary  eminence, 
in  addition  to  the  compensation  received  for  the 
tuition  of  each  scholar. 

The  act  was  at  first  limited  to  four  years,  within 
which  period  the  limitation  was  repealed,  so  that 
it  is  now  a  perpetual  law.  From  the  extent  of  the 
districts,  the  location  of  the  schools,  and  other 
considerations,  the  school  act  has  proved  not  very 
satisfactory,  and  a  repeal  of  it  has  been  repeatedly 
attempted.  Such  dissatisfaction  and  attempts  to 
procure  a  repeal,  may  have  lessened  the  utility  of 
these  schools.  Several  of  them,  however,  are 
flourishing  and  highly  respectable. 

Other  seminaries  for  the  education  of  youth,  are 
supported  by  individual  exertions,  without  public 
aid. 

The  first  inhabitants,  as  was  stated  in  the  histo- 
rical sketch,  were  generally  poor,  in  consequence 
of  the  revolution.  They  had  also  to  struggle  with 
the  labours  and  privations  incident  to  new  settle^ 
ments.  As  their  habitations  were  sparse,  it  was 
difficult  for  them  to  unite  in  sufficient  numbers  to 
form  good  schools;  and  they  could  neither  afford 
much  expence  for  instructors,  nor  allow  their 

b».'>    : 


246  SKETCHES   OF 

chitdfen  much  time  for  receiving  instruction. 
From  such  inevitable  causes,  education  was  neg- 
lected among  them,  until  the  neglect  almost  became 
habitual.  The  want  of  books,  at  the  same  time, 
relaxed  their  taste  for  reading. 

A  sense  of  these  disadvantages  excited  desires 
for  surmounting  them,  which  have  at  length  pro- 
duced some  corresponding  exertion.  Books  are 
procured  in  considerable  numbers.  In  addition  to 
those  with  which  particular  persons  and  families 
are  supplied,  social  libraries  are  introduced  in 
v arious  places  ;  and  subscribers  at  a  small  ex  pence 
thus  enjoy  the  benefit  of  many  more  volumes 
than  they  could  individually  afford  to  purchase. 

A  spirit  of  improvement  is  evidently  spreading. 
The  value  of  education,  as  well  as  the  want  of  it, 
is  felt.  The  practicability  of  obtaining  it  is  con- 
sidered. Gentlemen  of  competent  means  appear 
to  be  sensible  of  the  importance  of  giving  their 
children  academical  learning,  and  ambitious  to  do 
it  without  sending  them  abroad  for  the  purpose. 

A  mong  other  indications  of  the  progress  of  literary 
ambition,  I  cannot  forbear  referring  to  the  academy 
lately  erected  in  Ernest  Town,  by  the  subscriptions 
of  public  spirited  inhabitants  of  that  and  the  neigh- 
bouring townships,  who  appear  to  be  convinced 
that  the  cultivation  of  liberal  arts  and  sciences  is 
naturally  connected  with  an  improvement  of  man- 
ners and  morals,  and  a  general  melioration  of  the 
state  of  society*. 

*  Such  was  the  prospect  when  the  war  commenced,  but  it  is 
changed.     The  academy  was  converted  into  a  barrack ;  and  the 


UPPER   CANADA.  247 

SKETCH  XXXIII. 


CHARACTER,    MANNERS,    AND    CUS- 
TOMS  OF   THE   INHABITANTS. 

Miyed  National  Character — Anglo-Americans-^- 
People  not  agitated  by  Politics — Prejudices  ex- 
cited by  the  late  War — Rural  Manners — Popular 

Diversions — Dancing —Athletic  Sports Social 

Scenes— Little  Progress  of  Luxury —Carriages — 
Sleiah ing  Parties — Trave lling  Accommodations 
— Fishing — Dress — Manner  of  Living  and  Style 
of  Building  compared  with  those  of  the  United 
States— Smoking— -  Use  of  Ardent  Spirits—Pugi- 
lism—  Chereverreeing — Holydays — Festivals — 
Observance  of  the  Sabbath — Public  Worship. 

IF  the  people  of  Upper  Canada  have  any  predo- 
minant national  character,  it  is  the  Anglo-Ameri- 
can.  Among  the  first  settlers  there  were  natives 
of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  and  a  few  of  some 
other  European  countries;  but  the  mass  of  them 
were  Americans,  born  in  New  England,  New 
York,  New  Jersey,  and  Pennsylvania.  They  retain 

academical  institution  has  not  been  revived.  The  students  resort- 
ed to  other  places  of  education,  many  of  them  out  of  the  province. 
The  building  is  now  occupied  as  a  house  of  public  worship,  and 
a  common  school.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  however,  that  the  taste 
for  literary  improvement  may  be  revived,  and  this  seminary  be 
re-established. 


248  SKETCHES   OF 

a  strong  attachment  to  their  sovereign,  who  re- 
munerated them  for  their  revolutionary  losses,  made 
them  liberal  grants  of  land  to  settle  on,  with  farm- 
ing tools,  building  materials  and  provisions,  to  faci- 
litate their  settlement,  and  is  still  granting  lands  to 
their  children  as  fast  as  they  become  of  age. 

Those  who  have  since  joined  the  province  are  of 
a  similar  national  mixture.  A  considerable  number 
of  emigrants  from  Scotland,  settled  together  in  the 
eastern  districts,  and  others  have,  at  a  later  period, 
been  planted  in  the  western  district,  under  the  aus- 
pices of  Lord  Selkirk.  One  township  on  Yonge 
Street  has  been  chiefly  taken  up  by  Germans.  Bri- 
tish, Irish,  and  a  few  French  gentlemen  of  business 
have  located  themselves  in  various  situations. 
Some  inhabitants  have  removed  from  Lower  Canada, 
Nova  Scotia,  and  New  Brunswick.  Still  greater 
numbers  have  come  from  the  United  States,  because 
of  their  adjacency,  and  in  consequence  of  the  ori- 
ginal American  settlers,  who  left  behind  them  in  the 
States,  their  fathers,  their  brothers,  and  other  rela- 
tives, neighbours,  and  friends,  from  whom  they  had 
been  separated  by  the  revolution.  As  their  revo- 
lutionary passions  mutually  subsided,  the  natural 
feelings  of  consanguinity,  affinity,  and  personal 
friendship  revived.  They  were  still  interesting  ob- 
jects to  each  other.  Friendly  inquiries,  corres- 
pondencies, exchanges  of  visits,  and  renewals  of 
attachment  ensued.  The  tide  of  emigration  natu- 
rally flows  from  old  to  new  settlements.  These 
causes,  combined  with  the  fertility  of  the  Canadian 
soil,  tue  relative  cheapness  of  land  and  lightness  of 


UPPER   CANADA.  249 

public  burdens,  have  induced  many  Americans, 
from  year  to  year,  to  move  into  the  province.  Here 
they  have  generally  acquired  farms  and  engaged  in 
business,  not  as  a  distinct  people,  like  the  French 
population  fin  Lower  Canada,  but  blended  and 
intermixed  with  the  former  inhabitants. 

This  intermixture  produces  no  effervescence, 
personal  or  political.  Politics,  indeed,  are  scarcely 
named  or  known  among  them.  They  have  very 
little  agency  in  the  affairs  of  government,  except 
that  the  freeholders  once  in  four  years  elect  their 
representatives.  The  people  are  not  agitated  by 
parties,  as  they  are  in  the  United  States,  where  all 
branches  of  government  depend,  directly  or  indi- 
rectly, upon  frequent  popular  elections. 

They  are  here  distinguished  rather  by  their  occu- 
pations, than  by  their  political  connexions,  or  the 
places  of  their  birth.  A  due  proportion  of  them 
are  in  professional,  mercantile,  and  mechanic  em- 
ployments ;  but  the  most  numerous  class  are  en- 
gaged in  agriculture,  and  have  the  appropriate  views, 
manners,  and  sentiments  of  agriculturists*. 


*  The  late  war  produced  a  very  natural  jealousy  of  persons 
born  in  the  United  States,  or  having  connexions  there.  A  degree 
of  it  still  exists,  attended  in  some  places  with  mutual  alienation, 
and  even  exasperation  pf  feelings.  The  current  of  emigration, 
which  used  to  flow  from  the  neighbouring  states  into  this  province, 
seems  to  be  turned  towards  the  south  western  territories  of  the 
United  States.  Since  the  peace,  notwithstanding  the  multitudes 
who  have  crossed  the  line  for  speculation  and  temporary  employ- 
ment, comparatively  few  have  removed  into  Canada  for  permanent 
settlement.  None  are  now  admitted  to  the  oath  required,  as  a  con- 


SKETCHES   OlF 

There  is  here,  as  well  as  every  where  else,  a  cer- 
tain portion  of  idle  and  vicious  persons,  who  hang 
loose  upon  society,  and,  instead  of  adding,  by  their 
labour,  to  the  general  sum  of  wealth  and  prosperi- 
ty, diminish  it  by  their  consumption  and  waste. 
Their  number,  however,  is  not  peculiar.  The 
main  body  of  the  inhabitants  may  be  characterised 
as  industrious. 

Their  diversions  are  similar  to  those  of  the  in- 
terior of  New  England.  Dancing  is  a  favourite 
amusement  of  the  youth.  Athletic  sports  are  com- 
mon. Family  visits  and  tea  parties  are  the  most 
frequent  scenes  of  sociability. 

The  country  is  too  young  for  regular  theatric  en- 
tertainments, and  those  delicacies  and  refinements 
of  luxury,  which  are  the  usual  attendants  of  wealth. 
Dissipation,  with  her  fascinating  train  of  expences 
and  vices,  has  made  but  little  progress  on  the  shores 
of  the  lakes. 

There  are  no  splendid  equipages,  and  few  common 
carnages  ;  but  the  face  of  the  country  being  level, 
they  will  doubtless  be  multiplied,  as  the  roads  be- 
come well  fitted  for  wheels. 

In  winter  great  use  is  made  of  sleighs ;  and 
sleighing  parties  are  fashionable ;  but  taverns  and 
provisions  for  travellers  are,  in  many  parts  of  the 
country,  quite  indifferent.  The  improvement  of 
travelling  accommodations  has  been  retarded  by 


dition  of  holding  lands,  without  the  governor's  licence,  which  js 
granted  upon  satisfactory  testimonials  of  good  character  and  inten- 
tion ef  residence. 


UPPER  CANADA.  251 

the  preference  given  to  passages  by  water,  during 
the  summer  months.  Yet  travel  by  land  increases, 
and  the  roads  are  advancing  towards  a  more  perfect 
state,  by  the  annual  application  of  statute  labour, 
and  the  aids  granted,  from  time  to  time,  by  the  le- 
gislature out  of  the  provincial  funds. 

So  many  Townships  are  situated  upon  waters 
filled  with  fish,  that  fishing  is  a  common  amuse- 
ment, easily  connected  with  occasional  supplies  of 
provisions. 

Fashions  of  dress  and  modes  of  living  are  com- 
mon to  the  inhabitants  ot  the  province  and  their 
ne;gh hours  in  the  States.  The  style  of  building, 
howevtr,  on  the  Canadian  side  of  the  line  is  less 
elegant;  and,  in  general,  there  are  less  ambition, 
enterprise,  and  exertion.  This  difference  is  the  na- 
tural consequence  of  the  different  circumstances, 
under  which  the  original  settlements  were  com* 
menced. 

The  habit  of  smoking  is  very  common  among 
all  classes  of  people  throughout  the  province.  By 
the  statements  of  dutiable  imports,  inserted  in  the 
sketch  of  revenue  and  taxes,  it  appears  that  the 
duty  was  paid  upon  almost  100,000  pounds  of 
manufactured  tobacco,  imported  in  the  year  1610, 
besides  all  that  was  smuggled  in,  all  that  was  pro. 
duced  in  the  province,  and  all  the  cigars,  which, 
not  being  subject  to  the  duty,  are  not  entered  in 
those  statements. 

In  new  countries  people  generally  make  -tot* 
free  use  of  ardent  spirits,  for  their  health  or  their 
morals.  To  this  fault  the  early  settlers  here  were 


252  SKETCHES   OP 

peculiarly  exposed,  from  the  manner  of  life  they 
had  followed  several  years  in  the  army,  their  want 
of  cider,  that  common  drink  to  which  they  had 
been  accustomed  before  the  revolution,  and  the 
facility  with  which  distilled  liquors  could  be  pro- 
cured as  a  substitute.  With  a  decrease  of  these 
causes,  the  pernicious  effects  are  decreasing.  In- 
stances of  occasional  excess  and  habitual  intem- 
perance are  becoming  less  frequent.  The  rising 
generation,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  will  complete  the  re- 
formation thus  begun. 

Another  bad  custom,  once  considerably  preva- 
lent in  some  parts  of  the  province,  appears  to  be 
declining.     I  mean  the  vulgar  practice  of  pugilism. 
Wherever  this  prevails,  it  marks  a  low  stage  of 
civilization.    It  is  indeed  a  relic  of  the  savage  state, 
in  which  the  avenging  of  private  wrongs,  by  per- 
sonal  violence, .  under  the  immediate  impulse  of 
excited  passions,  is  a  ruling  principle.     Whereas 
the  object  of  civil  society  and  government  is  to 
protect  the  weak  against  the  strong,  and  the  peace- 
able against  the  quarrelsome,  and  to  establish  rea- 
son arid  law,  under  the  administration  of  disinte- 
rested judges,  as  substitutes  for  personal  vengeance 
inflicted  by  every  man,  judging,  or  rather  feeling, 
in  his  own  cause.     Upon  this  ground  assaults  and 
batteries  are  condemned  by  law.     The  practice  of 
personal  combats,  therefore,   is  a  departure  from 
the  first  principle  of  civilization  ;  and,  so  far  as  it 
obtains,  is  a  return  to  the  barbarous,  savage  state 
of  life. 

It  is  also  a  direct  violation  of  the  known  law  of 


V  UPPER   CANADA.  253 

the  land.     Men  of  honour  ought  to  view  it  in  this 
light,  and  reflect  well  upon  the  tendency  of  coun- 
tenancing it  by  example  or  indulgence.     If  one 
plain  law  is  violated   with  impunity,  or  with  only 
nominal  or  very  slight  punishment,    the  respect 
due  to  laws  in  general  is  thereby  diminished,  and 
the  arm  of  government  proportionally  weakened. 
This  tendency  to  insubordination  and  contempt  of 
authority  is  strengthened,    when  the  violation  of 
law  is  rendered  fashionable  and  popular,  either  by 
the  passions  of  our  nature,   or  the  contagion  of 
influential  examples. 

Men  of  conscience  should  contemplate  the  sub- 
ject in  a  still  more  serious  light.     The  practice 
under  consideration  is  a  transgression  of  the  law  of 
God.      Its  indulgence   promotes   other  sins.     It 
increases  the  venom  of  hatred,  resentment,  and  all 
the  angry  passions,  from  which  the  parties  probably 
suffer  more  than  from  the  pain  occasioned  by  blows 
and  wounds.     It  sometimes  ends  in  homicide,  and 
frequently  produces  loss  of  labour  and  health,  and 
plants  the  seeds  of  lameness,  disability,  and  disease. 
It  involves  families  and   friends   in  quarrels,  and 
spreads  animosities  through  whole  neighbourhoods 
and  townships.    It  degrades  a  national  or  provincial 
character,  injures  public  morals  and  manners,  vul- 
garizes public  taste,  and  checks  the  progress  of 
social  refinement. 

Popular  customs,  deriving  their  force  from 
habit,  are  not  easily  changed;  especially  those 
which  are  prompted  by  the  strong  passions  of 
human  nature.  Such  is  that  we  are  speaking  of. 


254  SKETCHES   OF 

which  is  stimulated  by  anger  and  revenge,  and  not 
less  by  pride;  for  vulgar  fashion  has  made  it  an 
object  of  a  false  kind  of  heroism.  It  is  not,  how- 
ever, too  inveterate  to  be  restrained  by  public  sen- 
timent, which  may  always  be  directed  by  the 
enlightened  part  of  a  community. 

The  decline  of  so  degrading  a  practice  indicates 
a  state  of  improvement.  Its  extinction  would  be 
a  subject  of  additional  congratulation. 

I  have  observed  no  essential  peculiarity  in  the 
funerals  or  weddings  of  this  country;  but  there  is 
a  singular  custom  of  chereverreeing,  as  it  is  called, 
a  newly  married  couple,  where  the  match  is 
thought  to  be  unequal  or  unseasonable ;  as,  be- 
tween an  old  man  and  a  young  girl,  or  within  a 
short  period  after  the  death  of  a  former  husband  or 
wife.  Sometimes  it  is  in  consequence  of  the 
offence  so  frequently  caused  by  a  neglect  of  invi- 
tation to  the  wedding.  It  is  a  kind  of  riotous 
frolic  derived  from  the  French  of  Lower  Canada. 
Young  men,  disguised  in  masks,  assemble  in  tbe 
evening  before  the  house  of  the  bride  and  bride- 
groom, bearing  some  significant  emblem,  accom- 
panied with  horns,  bells,  pans,  and  other  instru- 
ments, with  which  they  perform  a  discordant 
serenade.  It  is  often  in  vain  for  the  parties,  who 
are  the  objects  of  such  a  visit,  to  resist  or  resent 
it.  Their  wisest  course  is  to  treat  it  with  good 
humour,  as  a  joke  unworthy  of  serious  notice. 

This  custom  being  discountenanced  by  people 
of  consideration,  as  rude  and  injurious,  soems  to 
be  jjoing  into  disrepute  and  disuse.  It  has  lately 


tJPt»ER  CANADA. 

been  a  Subject  of  prosecution  ;  and,  as  practised  in 
many  instances,  is  undoubtedly  indictable  as  a 
riot.  In  Lower  Canada,  it  is  said  to  have  been 
suppressed  by  the  interposition  of  the  police. 

Public  days  are  not  so  frequent  hdre  as  they  are 
in  some  countries. 

The  fourth  of  June,  being  the  anniversary  of  his 
Majesty's  birth,  is  noticed  throughout  the  pro- 
vince, as  a  national  holyday ;  but  not  with  such 
orations,  processions,  and  parade,  as  are  displayed 
in  the  United  States,  on  the  fourth  of  July. 

Freemasons  attend  their  festivals  as  in  other 
places. 

The  Christmas  holydays  are  observed  in  the 
usual  manner. 

The  churches  and  dissenting  meeting  houses  are 
generally  plain.  The  worshipping  assemblies  ap- 
pear grave  and  devout,  except  that  in  some  of 
them  it  is  customary  for  certain  persons  to  go  out 
and  come  in  frequently  in  time  of  service,  to  the 
disturbance  of  others,  and  the  interruption  of  that 
silence  and  solemnity  which  are  enjoined  by  po- 
liteness, no  less  than  a  sense  of  religion.  This 
indecorous  practice  prevails  among  several  diffe- 
rent denominations ;  but  it  is  local  in  its  preva- 
lence, and  scarcely  deserves  to  be  mentioned  in  a 
description  of  provincial  customs*. 


*  The  writer  of  the  Sketches  is  not  singular  in  his  observation 
on  this  subject.  When  at  Kingston  I  attended  worship  twice  in 
the  Episcopal  church.  The  interruption  to  the  service  was  so 
great  by  people,  well  dressed  people,  coming  late  to  church,  and 


256  SKETCHES   OF   UPPER   CANADA. 

The  observance  of  the  sabbath,  instituted  by 
religion,  and  required  by  law,  is  most  strict  in 
those  places,  where  public  worship  is  regularly 
maintained.  Such  places  are  not  so  numerous  as 
might  be  wished,  although  their  number  is  in- 
creasing. In  a  country  recently  settled,  and  thinly 
peopled ;  where  various  creeds  are  professed,  and 
religious  freedom  is  enjoyed,  a  regular  maintenance 
of  the  public  worship  of  God  is  a  matter  of  diffi- 
culty; but  its  salutary  influence  on  civil  society, 
renders  it  an  important  object ;  and,  when  viewed 
in  the  light  of  that  eternal  state  of  retributions,  to 
which  this  life  is  only  a  probationary  introduction, 
it  rises  in  importance,  beyond  the  reach  of  de- 
scription. In  this  point  of  view,  every  believer  of 
the  Christian  system,  whether  connected  or  not  by 
national  ties,  must  wish  success  to  the  means  of 
propagating  the  gospel  of  salvation,  in  any  land 
where  human  beings  dwell. 

bustling  regardlessly  to  their  pews,   that   I,  before  reading   the 
above,  put  the  practice  on  record  as  worthy  of  censure. 

A  custom  similar  to  chereverreeing  is  sometimes  resorted  to  in 
England,  to  disgrace  infamous  persons  whom  the  law  cannot  reach. 
I  remember  of  a  drunkard  in  Wiltshire,  who  treated  his  wife 
shamefully  and  harboured  a  bad  woman  in  the  same  house, 
being  beset  with  a  mob  armed  with  bells,  horns,  &c.— R.  G. 


APPENDIX 

TO 

SKETCHES. 


AFTER  the  foregoing  Sketches  were  finished,  the 
Provincial  Legislature,  at  their  Session  in  1816, 
enacted  several  laws,  which  will  be  summarily 
sketched  in  this  Appendix. 

Two  new  Districts  were  formed ;  the  District  of 
Gore,  at  the  head  of  Lake  Ontario,  taken  from  the 
Niagara  and  Home  Districts;  and  the  District  of 
Ottawa,  composed  of  the  northern  part  of  the 
Eastern  District.  The  principal  Settlements  in 
this  new  District,  are  situated  on  or  near  the  river 
Ottawa.  This  north-easterly  Section  of  the  Pro- 
vince has  hitherto  attracted  little  attention,  but  is 
rising  in  importance.  Many  Settlers,  who  have 
recently  emigrated  from  the  British  European 
dominions,  under  the  auspices  of  government,  and 
a  considerable  number  of  the  officers  and  soldiers 
of  the  regiments  lately  disbanded,  are  located  or 
to  be  located  there,  and  a  new  route  of  inland 
navigation,  between  Montreal  and  Kingston,  is  to 
be  opened  in  that  direction.  The  country  has 
been  explored,  and  the  reports  of  it  are  favourable. 
It  is  expected  to  pass  up  the  Ottawa  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Rideau,  and  up  that  river  near  to  its  head 
waters,  thence  by  a  short  portage  to  Kingston  Mill 
river,  and  down  that  stream  to  Kingston.  The 
distance  will  be  greater  than  down  the  St.  Lawrence* 


258  APPENDIX   TO    SKETCHES 

But  the  difficult  and  dangerous  rapids  will  be 
avoided;  and,  in  the  event  of  another  war,  this 
interior  communication  between  the  two  Provinces, 
will  be  more  safe  than  the  old  one  along  the  frontier. 

The  two  new  Districts  are  organized,  and  their 
respective  officers  appointed  and  sworn  into  office. 

An  act  was  passed  for  the  establishment  and 
encouragement  of  common  schools.  It  provides 
for  a  board  of  education,  to  be  appointed  by  the 
Governor  in  Council,  in  each  District,  and  autho- 
rizes the  inhabitants  of  any  town,  township,  village 
or  place,  to  associate  by  subscription  for  a  school, 
and  to  choose  three  trustees  of  such  school,  who 
have  power  to  appoint  a  teacher,  designate  the 
school  books  to  be  used,  and  direct  the  course  of 
education,  subject  to  the  superintendance  of  the 
District  Board  of  Education.  These  trustees  are 
annually  to  certify  the  number  of  scholars  in- 
structed in  their  respective  schools,  and  report  the 
state  of  the  schools  to  the  District  Board,  who  are 
to  make  a  similar  report  to  the  Governor,  to  be  laid 
before  the  Legislature.  The  act  grants  6,000 
pounds  (24,000  dollars)  a  year,  from  the  provincial 
fund,  and  apportions  it  to  the  ten  Districts.  The 
District  Boards  are  to  apportion  it  among  the 
schools  in  their  several  Districts,  according  to  the 
number  of  their  scholars,  with  these  limitations, 
that  none  be  given  to  a  school  of  less  than  20 
scholars,  and  no  school  have  less  than  a  hundred 
dollars ;  and  the  money  is  to  be  paid  to  the  teachers 
upon  their  producing  certificates  of  qualification 
and  good  conduct  from  their  trustees. 


OF    UPPER   CANADA.  259 

This  law,  however  incomplete  as  a  system,  in- 
dicates a  favourable  progress  of  public  sentiment  on 
the  subject  of  education. 

Commercial  intercourse  between  the  province 
and  the  states  not  having  been  regulated  by  treaty, 
an  -ict  was  passed  for  that  purpose.  The  substance 
of  it  will  appear  from  the  following  Order  in 
Council: 

ORDER 

OF  THE 

LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR,  IN  COUNCIL. 

Province  of  )  At  a  Council  for  the  affairs  of  the 
Upper  Canada.)  Province,  held  at  York,  in  the  said 
Province,  on  the  18th  day  of  April,  in  the  56th 
year  of  his  Majesty's  reign,  and  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  1816, 

PRESENT, 

HIS  EXCELLENCY  THE  LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR. 

WHEREAS,  by  an  Act  made  and  passed  in  the  last 
Session  of  the  Provincial  Parliament  of  Upper 
Canada,  entitled  "  An  Act  for  making  temporary 
provision  for  the  regulation  of  trade  between  this 
Province  and  the  United  States  of  America,  by 
land  or  inland  navigation  ;"  it  is,  among  other 
things,  enacted,  that  for  and  during  the  continu- 
ance of  the  said  Act,  it  shall  and  may  be  lawful  for 
the  Governor,  Lieutenant-Governor,  or  person  ad- 
ministering the  government  for  the  time  being, 
with  the  advice  and  consent  of  his  Majesty's  exe- 
cutive Council,  by  order  or  orders,  to  be  from  time 

s  2 


260  APPENDIX   TO   SKETCHES 

to  time  issued  and  published,  to  suspend  the  ope- 
ration of  the  whole,  or  part,  of  any  Acts  of  the  Le- 
gislature of  this  Province,  relative  to  trade  and  in- 
tercourse, by  land  or  inland  navigation,  and  to  give 
directions  and  make  regulations  with  respect  to  im- 
portations, &c.  for  carrying  on  trade  by  land  or 
inland  navigation,  between  the  people  and  territo- 
ries of  his  Majesty  in  this  province,  and  the  people 
and  territories  of  the  United  States  of  America,  any 
law,  statute,  custom,  or  usage  to  the  contrary  not- 
withstanding;  his  Excellency  the  Lieutenant-Go- 
vernor,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the 
said  executive  Council,  doth  hereby  order,  that  the 
operation  of  all  Acts  passed  by  the  Legislature  of 
this  Province,  relating  to  the  trade  and  commerce 
between  the  United  States  and  this  Province,  by 
land  or  inland  navigation,  inasmuch  as  they  regu- 
late the  duties  to  be  received  on  goods,  wares,  and 
merchandise,  imported  into  this  Province,  or  ad- 
mit the  ships,  boats,  and  vessels,  used  by  the  sub- 
jects of  the  said  United  States,  into  the  ports  and 
harbours  of  this  Province,  free  of  tonnage  duty,  to 
be  suspended,  and  the  operation  of  the  said  Acts 
insomuch  is  hereby  suspended. 

And  his  Excellency  the  Lieutenant-Governor, 
with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  said  executive 
Council,  doth  hereby  order  and  direct,  that  goods, 
wares,  and  manufactures,  of  the  growth  or  produce 
of  the  said  United  States  of  America,  imported 
into  this  Province,  by  land  or  inland  navigation, 
shall  respectively  be  liable  to  the  payment  of  the 
duties  declared  in  the  schedule  hereunto  annexed. 


OF   UPPER    CANADA. 


261 


And  it  is  also  further  ordered,  that  no  furs  of  any 
description  be  exported  from  this  Province  to  the 
United  States,  under  penalty  of  forfeiture  of  three 
times  the  value  of  any  furs  so  exported ;  one  half 
to  the  use  of  his  Majesty,  and  one  half  to  the  in- 
former, to  be  recovered  of  the  person  exporting 
the  same,  by  bill,  plaint,  or  information,  before 
any  court  or  competent  jurisdiction. 

JOHN  SMALL, 
Clerk  of  the  Executive  Council. 


SCHEDULE  OF  DUTIES  to  be  received  on  Articles 
of  Manufacture,  being  of  the  Growth  and  Pro- 
duce of  the  United  States  of  America,  under  the 
Order  in  Council,  of  the  ISth  of  April,  1816. 


Ad  va- 
lorem 
per  cent 

£ 

s. 

d. 

Anchors       .  !  .     .     .     .     .  * 

22 

0 

0 

0 

Brass,  iron,  or  steel  locks, 
hinges,  hoes,  anvils  and 
vices         

22 

0 

0 

0 

Beer,  ale,  or  porter,  in  casks, 
per  gallon      .     .     .     .  '   ^ 
Do.  in  bottles,  do.      .     .     . 
Books,  blank,  &c.       .     .     ,  "j 
Broaches       .          «... 

0 
0 
3,5 
36 

0 
0 
0 
0 

0 

1 

0 
0 

6 
0 
0 

o 

Cables  and  tarred  cordage, 
per  lib  

0 
0 

0 

n 

Carriages  or  parts  of  car- 
riages         

35 

0 

0 

0 

Cards,  playing,  per  pack 
Wool  and  Cotton,  per  dozen 
Candles  of  tallow,  per  lib. 

0 
0 
0 

1 

5 
0 

6 
3 
2| 

262 


APPENDIX   TO   SKETCHES 


Ad  va- 
lorem 
per  cent. 

£      s.      d. 

Candles,  Spermaceti  or  wax 
Canes,  walking  sticks,  and 

Whips            .        .    :iv    U><      • 

3.5 

0       0       71 
000 

Cotton  goods    ....    jrn. 
Cabinet  wares,  chairs,  and 
manufactures  of  wood 
Cordage  tarred,  per  lib. 
unt  srred,  do.      .  „'. 
Cotton  wool,  do.        \.  "..     , 
Clothing,  ready  made      .  *  .^ 
Fish  dried,  per  quintal     .  _, 
Mackerel,  per  barrel        ,vU  . 
Salmon,  do.       ..... 

25 
35 

35 

000 

000 

0       0       3f 
003 
002 
000 
050 
060 
0     10       0 

All  other  pickled  fish,  do. 
Furs  of  all  kinds,  undressed 
Glass,  window,  not  above  8 
by  10,  per  100  square  feet 
Do.     do.     10  by  12     .     . 
Do.     do.    above  10  by  12 
All  other  manufactures  thereof 
Glauber  salts,  per  cwt.     .     . 
Glue,  per  lib.     .     .     •'*<  V*  Y 

free 
30 

050 
000 

0     12       6 
0     13       9 
0     16       3 
000 
1       0       0 
005 

Gunpowder       .     »  f  . 

00       4 

Hairpowder       ..... 
Hemp   per  cwt      .           .     . 

004 
076 

Indigo,  per  lib  
Iron  hoop,  and  slit,  per  cwt 
sheet,  do.        . 
Lead  and  musket  ball      .     . 
All  other  manufactures  in 
which  lead  is  the  chief 
article       

22 
22 

009 

076 
076 
000 

000 

Looking  glasses     .... 
Malt,  per  bushel     .... 
Nails,  per  Jib.         .     .     .    1"^ 
Paper  of  all  descriptions       v  •- 

40 

35 

000 
0       1       0 
0       0       2| 
000 

OF    UPPER    CANADA. 


263 


>.  • 

Ad  va- 

4 

lorem 
percent. 

£. 

s. 

d. 

Packthread  and  twine,   per 

cwt.           

2 

0 

0 

Pasteboard,  parchment,  and 

vellum            .     .     .     i*'«i'"T 

35 

0 

0 

0 

Pictures  and  prints      .     ^il'iVn 

35 

0 

0 

0 

Salt,  per  bushel,    of  39lb.  jjfctf 

0 

0 

1 

0 

Starch,  per  lib  

0 

0 

0 

3f 

Steel,  per  cwt.        ,,    .     .     . 

0 

0 

10 

0 

Spirits,  distilled  from  grain, 

First  proof,  per  gallon     . 

0 

0 

9 

If 

Second  ditto     ditto 

0 

0 

2 

3 

Third     ditto     ditto 

0 

0 

2 

5 

Fourth  ditto     ditto 

0 

0 

2 

7 

Fifth     ditto     ditto 

0 

0 

3 

0 

Sixth    ditto     ditto 

0 

0 

3 

9 

Spirits,  from  molasses,  do.    . 

0 

0 

3 

9 

Men's  and  women's  shoes 

of  all  descriptions,  made 

of  leather,  per  pair        .     . 

0 

0 

1 

S 

Children's  do.   do.      .     .     • 

Q 

0 

0 

9 

0 

0 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

7* 

Tobacco,  unmanufactured, 

•  z 

ditto     

0 

0 

0 

4 

,  manufactured,  do. 

0 

0 

0 

7 

Tallow      ~ 

free 

0 

0 

0 

Types  for  printing     .     .  $"  y 

20 

0 

0 

0 

Wearing  apparel,  and  per- 

sonal baggage       .     .     . 

free 

0 

0 

0 

Wood,  manufactured     i3t 

26 

0 

0 

0 

All  other  manufactures  and 

goods  of  the  growth  and 

produce  of  the  United 

States  of  America,  not 

otherwise  enumerated     . 

30 

0 

0 

0 

Except  wheat,  barley,  rye, 

264 


APPENDIX    TO    SKETCHES 


Ad  va- 

lorem 
per  cent. 

£.     s.      d. 

oats,  pease,  beans,   pot 

and  pearl  ashes,  staves, 

heading,   oak   and    pine 

timber,  and  other  lum- 

ber ;  beef,  pork,  and  live 

cattle,    cheese,     butter, 

and  all  other  provisions, 

which  may  be  admitted 

free. 

12  per  cent,  upon  the  above 

duties    to    be    paid   on 

such  articles,  as  are  im- 

ported in  foreign  vessels 

Every  ship's  boat,  or  ves- 

sel, exceeding  five  tons 

burden,  belonging  to  the 

subjects  of  the   United 

States  of  America,  enter- 

ing any  port  or  harbour 

within  this  province,  to 

pay  a  duty,  per  ton,  of 

0 

0     12       6 

JOHN  SMALL, 
Clerk  of  the  Executive  Council, 


The  tonnage  duty  laid  by  this  order,  although 
intended  to  correspond  with  that  of  the  United 
States  upon  British  vessels,  was  found  to  be 
higher.  Its  effects  were  to  exclude  the  American 
packets  and  small  vessels,  or  to  cause  them  to  be 
covered  with  names  of  British  owners,  by  real  or 
fictitious  sales;  and  at  the  same  time  to  turn  the 
forwarding  business  from  ports  on  the  British  side 
of  the  lakes  and  rivers  to  those  on  the  other  side. 


OF  UPPER   CANADA.-$5&  265 

The  duty  was  soon  reduced  by  the  following 
ORDER 

OF  THE 

LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR,  IN  COUNCIL. 

Province  of  ~\  At  a  Council  for  the  affairs  of  the 
Upper  Canada.)  Province,  held  at  York  in  the  said 
Province,  on  the  22d  day  of  May,  in  the  ,56th 
year  of  his  Majesty's  reign,  and  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  1816, 

PRESENT, 

HIS  EXCELLENCY  THE  LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR. 

WHEREAS  it  has  been  represented  that  the 
tonnage  duty  of  12s.  6d.  per  ton,  imposed  on  all 
vessels  exceeding  five  tons,  belonging  to  the 
subjects  of  the  United  States  of  America,  entering 
any  port  or  harbour  in  this  province,  is  higher  than 
is  imposed  in  the  ports  of  the  United  States,  on  the 
tonnage  of  vessels  belonging  to  his  Majesty's  sub- 
jects ;  it  is  ordered  that  so  much  of  the  Order  in 
Council  of  the  18th  of  April,  1816,  as  imposes  a 
tonnage  duty  on  vessels  belonging  to  the  subjects 
of  the  United  States,  be  cancelled,  and  that  the 
following  tonnage  duty  be  imposed  in  lieu  thereof. 

On  all  vessels  above  five  tons  to  fifty  tons,  the 
tonnage  duty  to  be  three-pence  halfpenny  per  ton. 

From  fifty  to  a  hundred  tons,  five  shillings,  or 
one  dollar  per  ton.  On  all  vessels  above  a  hun- 
dred tons,  twelve  shillings  and  sixpence  per  ton. 

JOHN  SMALL,  Clerk  of  the  Executive 
Council. 


266        APPENDIX  TO  SKETCHES 

The  reasons  here  alleged  for  annulling  the  former 
rates  of  tonnage  duty,  and  substituting  these  in 
conformity  to  the  American  standard,  manifests  a 
disposition  for  friendly  intercourse  ;  a  disposition 
which  it  is  to  be  hoped  will  be  obviated  on  both 
sides  as  well  by  the  governments  as  their  respective 
subjects.  A  war  of  legislation,  although  not  so 
destructive  as  a  war  of  arms,  would  occasion  se- 
rious inconveniences.  On  the  other  hand  a  free 
commercial  intercourse,  on  liberal  terms,  is  not 
only  pleasant,  but  mutually  beneficial. 

Instances  of  national  civility  have  been  wit- 
nessed with  much  satisfaction.  Of  that  character 
was  the  act  passed  by  Congress,  to  exempt  from 
impost  duty,  Governor  Gore's  carriage,  which 
was  landed  at  New  York,  on  its  way  to  Upper 
Canada.  Such  civilities  have  a  conciliatory  ten- 
dency, and  are  far  more  gratifying  to  a  benevolent 
mind  than  acts  of  retaliation  or  reciprocal  irritation. 

At  the  session  of  the  Provincial  parliament  in 
1816,  the  annual  labour  required  by  law  to  be  ex- 
pended upon  roads  was  extended,  and  some  other 
alterations  made  in  the  statute.  The  important 
object  of  improving  the  public  roads  continues  to 
occupy  the  attention  of  the  legislature. 

In  addition  to  the  statute  labour  annually 
required  of  the  inhabitants,  liberal  grants  have, 
from  time  to  time,  been  made  from  the  provincial 
funds,  and  applied  under  the  direction  of  road  com- 
missioners, appointed  for  that  purpose  in  the  several 
districts. 

The  provincial  revenue  has  increased  to  such  a 


OF   UPPER   CANADA.  267 

degree  as  to  enable  the  legislature  at  their  session 
this  year  (1816)  to  make  liberal  grants.  The  view 
of  this  subject,  contained  in  a  preceding  Sketch,  as 
taken  from  the  statements  of  the  year  1810,  gives 
no  adequate  idea  of  its  present  state.  An  authen- 
tic abstract  of  the  amount  of  the  several  sources  of 
revenue  for  the  last  year  could  not  be  obtained  in 
season  to  be  inserted  in  this  appendix. 

At  the  same  session,  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
courts  of  requests  was  enlarged  to  five  pounds,  in 
cases  of  liquidated  debts  ;  but  their  process  was 
declared  to  be  confined  within  the  limits  of  their 
respective  justiciary  divisions,  instead  of  extending 
through  the  whole  district. 

Provision  was  also  made  for  regulating  the 
police  of  the  town  of  Kingston.  This  town  is  now 
progressing  rapidly  in  population  and  buildings,  as 
well  as  business.  From  1811  to  1816,  the  number 
of  dwelling  houses  only  increased  from  130  to 
300;  but  it  is  estimated  that  a  hundred  more  will 
have  been  erected  at  the  close  of  this  year.  A  re- 
gular market  is  established  ;  though  the  country 
immediately  around  is  not  yet  cultivated  enough 
to  furnish  sufficient  supplies  of  vegetables  and 
other  provisions.  Improvements  in  many  respects 
are  taking  place  throughout  the  town  ;  but  further 
regulations  had  become  necessary,  and  are  provided 
for  by  the  act.  These  regulations  respect  the  re- 
pairing, paving,  and  cleaning  of  the  streets,  remov- 
ing nuisances,  regulating  slaughter-houses,  restrain- 
ing cattle,  providing  fire  engines  and  buckets,  and 
forming  companies  of  enginemen,  and  promoting  in 


268  APPENDIX   TO   SKETCHES,    &C. 

general  the  health,  comfort,  and  security  of  the  in- 
habitants. For  these  valuable  objects,  the  magis- 
trates are  authorized  to  lay  a  town  tax  of  a  limited 
amount. 


Here  closes  a  very  fair  and  impartial  account  of  Upper  Canada, 
up  to  the  year  1817.  A  destructive  war  seems  to  have  had  little 
effect  in  repressing  the  prosperity  of  the  Province.  Kingston  con- 
tinues to  increase  rapidly  :  Queenston  "  is  in  a  flourishing  state," 
&c. 

In  1817  great  changes  took  place;  partly  from  external  circum- 
stances, which  affected  the  world  at  large ;  partly  from  the  inter- 
nal policy  of  the  executive  government,  or  rather  its  impolitic 
haste,  in  running  counter  to  established  law  and  confirmed  good 
practice. 

The  change  alluded  to  will  little  appear  from  the  perusal  of  the 
following  Reports ;  for  the  world  does  not  contain  a  more  con- 
tented people  than  those  of  Upper  Canada :  indeed  a  cow  in  clo- 
ver takes  little  heed  of  the  scythe  which  does  not  scratch  its  hoof; 
but  if  the  clover  is  yet  made  into  good  hay,  the  cow  may  have  no 
reason  to  complain  of  a  temporary  stint. — R.  G. 


Note  A.,  omitted,  page  116. — I  visited  Apanee  river,  for  the  express  purpose 
of  observing  the  phenomenon  of  the  tide.  Having  not  then  heard  it  as- 
cribed to  the  lake  winds,  I  conceived  it  to  be  caused  by  an  eddy  in  the  lake, 
originating  from  the  discharge  of  the  great  rivers  Niagara  and  Genesee 
into  its  opposite  side.  At  Queenston  lower  wharf  there  is  a  constant  ebb- 
ing and  flowing  of  one  foot  in  a  minute.  At  the  whirlpool  there  is  a  tide  of 
three  feet  every  four  or  five  minutes  on  the  western  side  of  the  pool.  I 
mention  these  circumstances  to  direct  attention  to  a  pleasing  and  innocent 
study  of  nature;  not  in  contradiction  to  the  opinion  given  in  the  text.  Did 
the  winds  cause  the  tide,  then  such  a  tide  should  be  observable  all  round 
the  lake ;  but  I  never  heard  of  any  on  its  southern  or  western  shores.  A 
person  residing  in  the  neighbourhood,  told  me  that  in  general  the  tide  of 
Apanee  took  about  50  minutes  to  flow  and  100  to  ebb  ;  and  that  the  rise 
varied  from  14  to  17  inches.— K.  G. 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS 


UPPER   CANADA, 


IN  REPLY  TO 

T  a 
QUERIES, 

1817. 


• 


QUERIES. 

1st.  Name,  Situation,  and  Extent  of  your  Town- 
ship ? 

2d.  DATE  OF  THE  FIRST  SETTLEMENT  OF  YOUR 
TOWNSHIP,  NUMBER  OF  PEOPLE  AND  INHA- 
BITED HOUSES? 

3d.  NUMBER  OF  CHURCHES  OR  MEETING 
HOUSES;  NUMBER  OF  PROFESSIONAL  PREACH- 
ERS, AND  OF  WHAT  SECTS  ? 

4th.    NUMBER  OP  MEDICAL  PRACTITIONERS? 

,5th.  NUMBER  OF  SCHOOLS,  AND  THE  FEES  PER 
QUARTER  ?  ' 

6th.    NUMBER  OF    STORES? 

7th.    NUMBER  OF  TAVERNS  ? 

8th.  NUMBER  OF  MILLS,  AND  OF  WHAT  DESCRIP- 
TION,   WITH    THE     RATE     OF    grinding,   SAW- 
ING AND    CARDING  WOOL  ? 

9th.  THE  GENERAL  CHARACTER  OF  THE  SOIL 
AND  SURFACE  ? 

10th.  THE  KINDS  OF  TIMBER  PRODUCED,  NAM- 
ING THEM  IN  ORDER,  AS  THEY  MOST  ABOUND  ? 

llth.  WHAT  MINERALS,  IF  ANY,  HAVE  BEEN 
DISCOVERED  OR  INDICATED  ;  COAL,  LIME- 
STONE, IRON,  STONE,  PLAISTER  OF  PARTS,  SALT 
ROCK,  SALT  OR  OTHER  REMARKABLE  SPRINGS? 

12th.  BUILDING  STONES,  IF  ANY,  OF  WHAT 
QUALITY,  AND  HOW  MUCH  PER  TOISE  THEY 
CAN  BE  OBTAINED  FOR  AT  THE  QUARRY? 

13th.  IF  BRICKS  HAVE  BEEN  MADE,  AND  THEIR 
COST  PER  THOUSAND  ? 

14th.  IF  LIME  IS  BURNED,  AND  THE  PRICE  PER 
BUSHEL,  AT  THE  KILN  ? 

15th.  WAGES  OF  BLACKSMITHS,  MASCTNS,  AND 
CARPENTERS;  AND  THE  RATE  OF  THEIR 
PIECE-WORK  RESPECTIVELY? 


NOTES. 


; 


1st. 

The  queries  are  exhibited  on  the  left  hand  pages, 
that  they  may  be  more  readily  referred  to  from  the 
replies. 

2d. 

As  there  is  a  correct  map  of  the  Province  at- 
tached to  this  volume,  which  shews  at  a  glance  the 
SITUATION  AND  EXTENT  of  each  township,  the 
replies  to  Query  the  1st.  have  been  omitted. 

3d. 

The  word  STORE  is  synonymous  with  shop  in 
Upper  Canada,  and  invariably  used  for  this. 

4th. 

The  RATE  OF  GRINDING,  being  fixed  by  statute 
at  ONE-TWELFTH  of  the  produce  ground,  replies 
to  that  query  are  omitted. 

5th. 

BRICKS  are  smaller  in  Canada  than  in  England. 
They  are  an  inch  shorter,  and  otherwise  proportion- 
ally less. 

6th. 

In  all  cases,  labourers  have  their  board  and  lodg- 
ing allowed  to  them,  besides  the  money  quoted  in  the 
replies:  answers,  therefore,  to  the  part  of  query  17, 
respecting  this,  have  been  omitted. 


272  QUERIES. 

16th.  WAGES  OF  COMMON  LABOURERS  PER  AN- 
NUM, PER  WINTER  MONTH,  PER  SUMMER 
MONTH,  PER  DAY  IN  HARVEST  ;  ALSO,  WAGES 
OF  WOMEN  SERVANTS  PER  WEEK,  FOR  HOUSE- 
WORK,  AND  FOR  SPINNING  ? 

17th.  PRICE  OF  MOWING  GRASS  FOR  HAY  ; 
PRICE  OF  REAPING  AND  CRADLING  WHEAT ; 

saying  in  each  case  if  board  and  lodging  is  in- 
cluded ? 

18th.  COST  OF  CLEARING  AND  FENCING  A  GIVEN 
QUANTITY  OF  WOOD  LAND  ;  SAY  FIVE  ACRES, 
BY  CONTRACT  ? 

19th.  PRESENT  PRICE  OF  A  GOOD  WORK  HORSE 
FOUR  YEARS  OLD  ;  ALSO,  A  GOOD  COW,  OX, 
SHEEP,  OF  THE  SAME  AGE  ? 

20th.  AVERAGE  QUANTITY  OF  WOOL  YIELDED 
BY  SHEEP  ;  AND  WHAT  PRICE  THE  WOOL 
NOW  BRINGS  PER  POUND  ? 

21st.  ORDINARY  TIME  OF  TURNING  OUT  BEASTS 
TO  PASTURE,  AND  OF  TAKING  THEM  HOME 
INTO  THE  YARD  OR  STABLE  ? 

22d.  ORDINARY  ENDURANCE  OF  THE  SLEIGH- 
ING SEASON,  AND  OF  COMMENCING  PLOUGH- 
ING IN  SPRING  ? 

23d.  ORDINARY  SEASON  OF  SOWING  AND  REAP- 
ING WHEAT  ? 

24th.  QUANTITY  OF  WHEAT  REQUIRED  TO  SOW 
AN  ACRE,  AND  HOW  MANY  BUSHELS  PER 
ACRE  ARE  CONSIDERED  AN  AVERAGE  CROP  ? 

25th.  QUALITY  OF  PASTURE:  1st.  AS  IT  RE- 
SPECTS FEEDING,  AND  WHAT  WEIGHT  AN 
OX  OF  FOUR  YEARS  OLD  WILL  GAIN  WITH  A 

SUMMER'S  RUN;  2d.  AS  IT  RESPECTS  MILK, 

AND    THE     QUALITY     OF     DAIRY     PRODUCE. 


NOTES.  273 

7th. 

The  word  CRADLING  denotes  mowing  with  a 
scythe,  mounted  with  hoops,  so  as  to  lay  the  swath 
regularly  down  for  sheaving. 

8th. 

The  SLEIGHING  SEASON  is  when  there  is  suffi- 
cient snow  on  the  around  to  admit  of  sleighs  (sledges) 
being  used  on  the  roads  instead  of  wheel  carriages. 

9th. 

The  term  SHARES  will  be  understood  where  it 
occurs  in  the  Replies. 

10th. 

My  28th  Query  required  a  reference  to  ACTUAL 
SALES;  which  unfortunately  has  been  too  little  at- 
tended to. 

llth. 

In  many  of  the  Reports,  prices  were  given  in 
DOLLARS:  in  some,  NEW  YORK  CURRENCY,  or 
8*.  to  the  dollar,  was  spoken  of.  To  prevent  con- 
fusion, I  have  converted  these  into  the  provincial 
currency  of  5s.  to  a  dollar,  and  four  dollars  to  the 
pound,  of  ISs.  sterling. 

12th. 

The  word  PLAIN,  often  used  in  the  Reports,  de- 
notes a  tract,  where  the  timber  is  thin  or  free  of 
under-brush9  generally  kept  in  this  state  by  successive 
burnings. 


274  CtUERIES. 

NOTING  THE  PRICE  WHICH  BUTTER  AND 
CHEESE  MADE  IN  THE  TOWNSHIP  WILL,  NOW 
FETCH  ? 

26th.  ORDINARY  COURSE  OF  CROPPING  UPON 
NEW  LANDS,  AND  AFTERWARDS  WHEN 
BROKEN  UP  FROM  GRASS  ;  STATING  ALSO 
WHEN  AND  FOR  WHAT  CROPS  MANURE  IS 
APPLIED  ? 

27th.   IF    ANY    LAND    IS    LET    ON    SHARES;     TO 
WHAT     EXTENT    THIS    IS    PRACTISED  ;     AND 
WHAT   THE    ORDINARY   TERMS? 
28th.    THE  PRICE  OF  WILD  LAND  AT  THE  FIRST 
SETTLEMENT    OF  THE    TOWNSHIP  ;    ITS   PRO- 
GRESSIVE RISE    AND    PRESENT  •  PRICE  ;    ALSO 
OF    LAND    SO    FAR   CLEARED  ;     STATING    CIR- 
CUMSTANCES AS  TO  BUILDINGS,  PROPORTION 
CLEARED,    OR   PECULIARITY,  IF  ANY,    OF  LO- 
CAL SITUATION  ;   REFERRING  IN    EVERY    IN- 
STANCE TO  ACTUAL  SALES  ? 
29th.   aUALITY   OF   LAND    NOW  FOR  SALE  ? 
30th.   STATE  OF   PUBLIC    ROADS,  AND   IF    CAPA- 
BLE    OF     MUCH      IMPROVEMENT      AT    A    MO- 
DERATE   EXPETSCE  ;     ALSO,    IF    ANY    WATER 
CONVEYANCE  ;     OR,   IF    THIS  COULD    BE    OB- 
TAINED,     EXTENDED,      OR      IMPROVED,     BY 
MEANS   OF  CANALS,   LOCKS,  &C.  &C. 
31st.   WHAT,  IN  YOUR   OPINION,  RETARDS  THE 
IMPROVEMENT  OF   YOUR  TOWNSHIP  IN   PAR- 
TICULAR,   OH   THE   PROVINCE  IN    GENERAL  ; 
AND  WHAT   WOULD    MOST    CONTRIBUTE    TO 
THE    SAME? 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  275 

SANDWICH. 


At  a  Meeting  of  the  Resident  Land  Owners  of  the 
Township  of  Sandwich,  in  the  Western  District 
of  Upper  Canada,  this  18th  Day  of  December, 
1817, 

RESOLVED, 

THAT  an  answer  be  given  to  the  Queries  of 
Mr.  Robert  Gourlay,  for  the  information  of  our 
fellow  subjects  in  Britain,  who  apparently  are 
ignorant  of  the  advantages  in  this  section  of  the 
empire,  when  they  emigrate  into  the  dominions  of 
foreign  potentates,  incongenial  to  their  habits  and 
feelings,  and  where  they  become  for  ever  lost  to 
their  country. 

2d.  The  township  of  Sandwich  began  to  settle 
under  the  French  government  about  the  year  17^0, 
and  perhaps  earlier,  and  contains  at  present  about 
200  inhabited  houses,  and  about  1000  souls.  The 
front  on  the  river  only  is  settled,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  houses  in  the  interior,  and  notwith- 
standing its  nearness  to  market,  and  natural  ad- 
vantages, we  do  not  know  of  one  additional  settler 
for  this  number  of  years. 

3d.  One    Roman    Catholic    church,    and    two 
priests,   no    Protestant    church    or     chapel    (the 
same  having  been  destroyed  by  the  enemy  during 
T  2 


276  WESTERN    DISTRICT. 

the  late  war),  and  but  one  preacher  of  the  church  of 
England. 

4th.  Two  medical  practitioners. 

5th.  One  school,  with  one  master,  who  draws 
a  salary  from  the  provincial  fund,  of  £  100  per 
annum,  besides  tuition  fees.  There  are  also  two  infe- 
rior schools,  the  teachers  of  which  receive  from  the 
same  fund  £25  per  annum,  besides  moderate  fees. 

6th.  Thirteen  shops  or  stores.      7th.  8  taverns. 

Fth.  Eight  wind-mills  and  one  water-mill  for 
grinding  wheat.  No  saw  or  card  ing-mills.  Inch 
pine  boards  are  at  present  5l.  per  thousand  feet; 
but  they  will  soon  be  at  half  that  price. 

9th.  The  face  of  the  township  is  level,  and  much 
ditching  required;  the  general  character  of  the 
soil  is  yellow  and  black  loam,  with  a  clay  under 
stratum.  The  middle  of  the  township  is  sandy ; 
but  a  mixture  of  these  renders  the  soil  warm  and 
grateful  to  vegetation.  Wild  hay  in  abundance. 
Cattle  thrive  well. 

10th.  A  great  part  of  the  township  is  a  plain, 
and  the  timber  most  abounding  is,  white,  red,  and 
black  oak,  ash,  elm,  hickory,  poplar,  maple,  and 
chestnut. 

llth.  No  minerals,  lime-stone,  salt  rock  or 
springs,  coal,  plaster,  or  remarkable  springs  have 
as  yet  been  discovered. 

12th.  No  stone  of  any  kind  but  what  is  trans- 
ported  from  Maiden,  the  next  township,  and 
sold  from  31.  to  31.  15s.  per  toise,  of  6  cubic 
feet*.  In  the  quarry  they  may  be  had  for  2s.  6d. 

*  I  presume  6  feet  cube  was  meant. — R.  G. 


TOWNSHIP  ^REPORTS.  277 

per  toise,  and  quarried  for  7s.  6d.  one  mile  from 
the  river. 

13th.  Bricks  are  made,  but  not  in  a  sufficient 
quantity,  and  are  from  21.  to  2l.  10s.  per  thousand 
at  the  kiln,  though  the  soil  is  favourable  for  mak- 
ing them. 

14th.  No  lime  but  what  is  brought  from  Maiden, 
and  generally  sold  at  Is.  3d.  per  bushel;  but  it  can 
be  made  for  much  less,  and  has  been  sold  at  7|d. 
per  bushel. 

15th.  Blacksmiths  generally  have  shops  of  their 
own,  and  earn  from  ll.  to  21.  per  day*.  Carpenters 
and  masons,  10s.  per  day,  with  board  and  lodging; 
and  when  they  work  by  the  piece,  they  calculate  on 
more. 

16th.  Wages  of  common  labourers,  per  annum, 
251.  to  371.  10s.;  per  winter  month,  21.  to  21.  10s.; 
per  summer  month,  31.  to  31.  15s. ;  per  day  in  har- 
vest, 5s.  to  6s.  3d.;  women  servants,  11.  5s.  per 
month,  but  very  few  are  to  be  hired  ;  spinners 
none. 

17th.  Mowing,  reaping,  and  cradling,  5s.  to 6s. 3d. 

18th.  Cost  of  clearing  and  fencing  five  acres 
of  land,  about  121.  10s.  on  an  average.  Some- 
times woodlands  are  given  for  a  certain  time,  and 
then  on  shares  to  repay  the  person  by  whose 
labour  it  was  cleared. 

19th.  The  price  of  a  work  horse  of  four  years, 
121.  10s.,  acow5l.,  an  ox  71.  10s,,  and  a  sheep  11. 


*  This  seems  extremely  high;  but  I  give  it  as  given  me.— R.  G. 


278  WESTERN    DISTRICT. 

20th.  Wool  three  to  four  pounds  per  fleece  ;  some 
has  had  nine  pounds  and  twenty  pounds  of  tallow : 
common  wool,  2s.  6d.  per  pound. 

21st.  About  the  10th  of  April,  and  the  10th 
of  December.  Horned  cattle  are  seldom  housed  ; 
they  do  better  under  sheds,  and  if  near  the  woods, 
they  browse,  and  want  but  very  little  fodder  ;  horses 
the  same,  except  those  kept  for  work. 

22d.  Sleighing  season  from  the  latter  end  of 
December,  to  the  beginning  of  March;  but  com- 
monly its  duration  is  but  two  months,  January 
and  February ;  ploughing  begins  about  the  be- 
ginning of  April. 

23d.  Sowing  fall  wheat  in  August  and  Sep- 
tember, and  reaping  in  July.  Spring  wheat  is 
sown  as  early  as  the  season  will  admit ;  in  March, 
if  the  frost  is  out  of  the  ground. 

24th.  One  to  one  and  a  half  bushels  of  wheat  per 
acre,  according  to  the  richness  of  the  ground : 
average  crop  about  10  bushels  per  arpent*,  but 
when  well  cultivated  it  has  been  known  to  produce 
$0  bushels.  The  land  is  not  as  well  cultivated 
here  as  in  Britain;  it  has  never  more  than  one 
ploughing,  and  the  sod  has  not  sufficient  time  to 
rot  and  to  pulverize. 

25th.  Blue  grass  and  white  clover,  the  natural 
production  of  the  land;  no  made  meadows  to 
signify  ;  yet  an  ox  of  four  years  in  a  summer's  run, 
will  gain  about  120lb.  Milk  is  rich,  and  in  the 
season  overflows  the  pail.  Butter  excellent; 

*  The  arpent  is  to  the  acre  as  180  to  200. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  279 

cheese  very  little  made ;  it  is  purchased  from  our 
neighbours  over  the  straight,  and  is  generally  at 
Is.  3d.  per  pound.  Butter  is  from  Is.  3d.  to  2s.  6d. 
per  pound. 

26th.  Land  is  often  cleared  for  the  first  crop, 
and  sometimes  three  crops,  according  to  the  labour; 
and  when  taken,  it  is  at  for  half  the  produce. 
Manure  is  seldom  wanted  but  on  old  ground,  for 
wheat ;  two  or  three  crops  of  Indian  corn  is  taken 
off  new  lands  before  wheat  is  sown. 

27th.  Land  within  fence,  and  fit  for  cultivation, 
is  generally  let  for  half  the  produce  ;  but  there  are 
few  tenants  of  this  description,  as  every  one  that 
chooses  can  get  land  of  his  own, 

28th.  The  price  of  wild  land  about  twenty  years 
ago  was  from  Is.  3d.  to  2s.  6d.  per  acre,  and  its  pro- 
gressive rise  about  2s.  6d.  for  every  five  years. 
The  present  price  of  land  is  from  10s.  to  15s.  except 
in  particular  situations,  such  as  lie  on  the  straight. 
No  lands  have  been  recently  sold  in  the  township; 
the  settlement  has  been  long  at  a  stand.  Improved 
farms  on  the  border  of  the  straight,  with  a  common 
farm-house,  barn,  and  out-houses,  orchard,  and 
about  cO  acres,  within  fence,  would  rate  from  £%. 
10s.  to  £6.  5s.  per  acre,  arid  more,  according  to  the 
situation  and  value  of  the  improvements. 

29th.  Several  tracts  of  woodland  are  for  sale  ;  but 
for  cleared  and  improved  lands,  high  price  would 
be  the  only  inducement. 

30th.  Only  one  road  in  front  on  the  river,  which 
is  kept  in  tolerable  repair.  The  back  part  of  the 


280  WESTERN   DISTRICT. 

township  unsettled,  except  a  few  scattered  houses  ; 
good  roads  might  be  made  at  a  moderate  ex  pence. 
No  water  ^conveyance  in  the  interior,  and  from  the 
evenness  of  the  ground,  canals  would  add  much 
to  the  value  of  the  lands,  and  the  encouragement  of 
the  settler. 

31st.  The  want  of  some  incentive  to  emulation, 
the  reserve  of  two-sevenths  of  the  lands  for  the 
crown  and  clergy,  must  for  a  long  time  keep  the 
country  a  wilderness  ;  a  harbour  for  wolves ;  a 
hindrance  to  a  compact  and  good  neighbourhood  ; 
and  as  these  reserves  grow  in  value,  they  increase 
as  a  political  inducement  to  an  enemy.  Other 
reasons  may  be  added;  a  defect  in  the  system  of 
colonization,  and  too  great  a  quantity  of  the  lands 
in  the  hands  of  individuals,  who  do  not  reside  in 
the  province,  and  who  are  not  assessed  for  those 
lands.  All  these  circumstances  considered,  it 
must  be  evident  that  the  present  system  is  very 
prejudicial  to  the  internal  welfare  of  this  township. 

(Signed) 
ANGUS  MACKINTOSH,  J.  P.  Chairman. 

F.  BABY,  J.  P. 

G.  JACOB,  J.  P. 
JOHN  M'GREGOR. 
J.  B.  BABY,  J.  P. 
JAMES  M'INTOSH. 
JAMES  WOODS. 

RICHARD  POLLARD,  Rector  of  Sandwich. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  J281 

MALDEN. 


At  a  Meeting  of  the  principal  Inhabitants  of  the 
Township  of  Maiden,  at  William  Searls  Hotel, 
William  Caldwell,  Esq.  in  the  Chair,  and  Mr. 
Alexis  Maisonville,  Secretary. —  Unanimously  re- 
solved, that  the  Queries  made  by  Mr.  Robert 
Gourlay,  in  his  Circular  Letter  respecting  the 
Agricultural  State  of  the  Township,  be  answered 
as  follows : 

2d.  THE  first  improvement  was  made  in  the  year 
1784.  At  present  there  are  108  inhabited  houses, 
and  675  persons. 

3d.  One  Catholic  chapel,  and  a  Roman  Catholic 
clergyman. 
.     4th.  Two  medical  practitioners. 

5th.  Three  schools,  and  rate  per  quarter,  is  20s. 

6th.  Twelve  stores. 

7th.  Five  taverns. 

8th.  Two  wind-mills. 

9th.  The  country  is  level,  with  good  soil. 

10th.  Oak,  hickory,  walnut,  ash,  maple,  beech, 
elm,  and  white  wood. 

12th.  Limestone  in  abundance,  which  sells  at 
12s.  6d.  per  toise  at  the  quarry. 

13th.  Bricks  are  made,  and  now  sell  at  40s.  per 
thousand. 

14th.  Lime  is  burnt  and  sold  at  Is.  3d.  per 
bushel. 

15th.  Blacksmiths,  masons,  and  carpenters,  get 
10s.  per  diem. 


282  WESTERN   DISTRICT. 

16th.  Common  labourers  get  301.  per  annum  ; 
60s.  per  winter  month  ;  75s.  per  summer  month  ; 
6s.  per  day  in  harvest ;  7s.  6d.  per  week  is  given  to 
women  servants,  for  house-work. 

17th.  Mowing,  5s.;  and  cradling,  7s.  6d.  perday. 

18th.  £5.  is  the  rate  for  clearing  and  fencing  an 
acre  of  land. 

19th.  The  price  of  a  good  work  horse  of  four 
years  old,  is  ^£16.  A  good  cow,  four  years  old, 
£6.  Ox  £7.  and  sheep,  17s.  6d. 

20th.  Small  sheep  yield  from  three  to  four  Ib. 
of  wool ;  the  larger  breed  about  8lb. ;  the  price  of 
wool  is  from  2s.  to  2s.  6d.  per  Ib. 

21st.  Beasts  are  commonly  turned  out  to  pasture 
the  1st  of  April,  and  taken  into  stable  1st  of  Decem- 
ber :  those  that  are  not  used,  can  be  left  out  all 
winter. 

22d.  Sleighing  lasts  from  two  to  three  months  ; 
ploughing  begins  about  the  1st  of  April. 

23d.  The  fall,  or  winter  wheat,  is  sown  about 
the  1st  of  September. 

24th.  Reaping  is  from  the  20th  of  July  to  the 
10th  of  August.  From  four  to  five  pecks  of  wheat 
is  sown  per  acre ;  and  twenty-five  to  thirty  bushels 
of  wheat  is  considered  an  average  crop. 

25th.  Pasture  in  general  excellent,  and  improves 
much  on  the  land  being  cleared.  Butter  and 
cheese  Is.  3d.  per  Ib. 

26th.  New  land,  in  the  first  instance,  is  planted 
with  corn 5  the  ensuing  season,  wheat  or  oats  are 
sown. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  283 

27th.  A  very  small  quantity  of  wild  land  is  let 
on  halves  at  presefit,  for  want  of  inhabitants. 

28th.  At  first  settlement,  the  price  of  land  was 
from  Is.  to  3s.  per  acre;  the  present  price  is  25^. 
per  acre  ;  some  land,  partly  cleared,  has  been  lately 
sold  at  40s.  per  acre. 

29th.  A  quantity  of  land  in  this  township,  is 
in  the  hands  of  individuals,  who,  doubtless,  would 
sell  to  actual  settlers. 

30th.  The  public  roads  in  general  are  pretty  good, 
and  a  water  communication  in  front  of  the  town- 
ship. 

31st.  Within  this  township  is  the  port  and  town  of 
Amherstburgh,  where  a  ready  market  is  always  found 
for  every  kind  of  produce.  The  chief  reason  that 
the  township  is  not  more  settled,  is  that,  independ- 
ent of  the  extensive  crown  and  clergy  reserves, 
which  are  common  throughout  this  province,  there 
is  a  large  tract  of  excellent  land,  (on  which  there 
are  one  or  two  mill  seats,)  reserved  for  the  Huron 
Indians,  in  the  upper  part  of  this  township  ;  a  great 
part  of  this  last  reserve,  it  is  presumed,  might  be 
purchased  by  government,  and  settled.  Another 
drawback  on  the  improvement  of  this  township, 
arises  from  a  quantity  of  the  lands  being  in  the 
hands  of  individuals  who  are  not  inclined  to  sell, 
and  also  large  tracts  belonging  to  minors,  who 
cannot  convey. 

(Signed)  WM.  CALDWELL,  J.  P.  Chairman, 

A.  MAISONVILLE, 
Secretary. 


284  WESTERN   DISTRICT. 

RALEIGH. 
Mr.  ROBERT  GOURLAY, 

Raleigh,  3d  Dec.  1817. 

SIR, 

YOUR  very  interesting  Address  to  the  re- 
sident householders  of  Upper  Canada  having  but 
lately  come  to  our  hands,  we  the  undersigned 
inhabitants  of  the  township  of  Raleigh,  deeply  im- 
pressed with  the  sense  of  the  many  and  important 
advantages  to  be  expected  (not  only  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  this  province,  but  to  thousands  of  our 
fellow  subjects  in  Great  Britain)  from  the  system 
you  propose  to  adopt,  for  the  encouragement  of 
emigrants  to  Canada,  have  taken  the  earliest  oppor- 
tunity of  assembling  together  to  answer  the  Queries 
contained  in  your  Address  ;  in  doing  which,  Sir,  we 
have  to  observe  that,  as  agriculture  is  not  carried 
on  so  systematically  in  this  country  as  in  Europe, 
some  of  our  answers  may  appear  imperfect  to  an 
English  farmer ;  however,  in  answering  to  the  best 
of  our  skill  and  knowledge,  we  hope  the  ends  you 
aim  at  will  be  obtained,  particularly  as  we  have 
adhered  to  facts  ;  happy  if  any  information  or 
trouble  on  our  part  or  power  to  bestow  can  in  any- 
wise conduce  to  ameliorate  the  unhappy  situation 
of  any  part  of  our  distressed  fellow  creatures,  par- 
ticularly those  of  our  mother  country  ;  and  at  the 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  285 

same  time  add  strength  and  increase  the  prosperity 
of  this  province. 

We  beg  of  you,  Sir,  to  accept  of  our  sincere 
thanks  for  the  judicious  and  prompt  manner  you 
have  commenced  this  humane  and  important  ob- 
ject, and  hope  every  success  may  attend  your 
future  endeavours  to  promote  so  desirable  a  mea- 
sure as  the  colonization  of  this  fine  country.  You 
will  please  to  observe  that  the  price  affixed  to 
any  article  or  rate  is  in  New  York  currency,  which 
is  the  currency  mostly  used  in  this  part  of  the 
province,  namely,  eight  shillings  to  the  dollar,  or 
two  and  a  half  dollars  to  the  pound*.  Provision, 
board,  and  lodging,  is  not  included  in  prices  stated 
for  labour,  but  which  may  be  fairly  estimated  at 
Is.  lOzd.  per  diem. 

2d.  The  settlement  of  this  township  commenced 
as  early  as  the  year  1792  ;  nevertheless  there  are 
but  28  inhabited  houses  on  the  bank  of  the 
Thames  at  present,  containing  198  souls,  and  a  set- 
tlement commenced  on  the  banks  of  lake  Erie 
last  spring,  inhabiting  25  houses,  containing  7-5 
souls. 

3d.  No  churches :  one  methodist  preacher. 

4th.  No  medical  practitioner. 

5th.  One  common  school,  the  teacher  of  which 
receives  15s.  per  quarter  for  each  scholar,  and  the 
legislature,  by  a  late  act,  grants  the  teacher  -of 
each  common  school  in  the  province  a  further  sum 

*  I  have  converted  all  prices  into  Halifax  currency,  of  5s.  to 
the  dollar,  as  mentioned  in  the  notes  above. R.  G. 


286  WESTERN   DISTRICT. 

of  251.  yearly,   provided  there  are  taught  in  the 
said  school  at  least  twenty  scholars. 

6th  and  7th.  Five  stores,  and  one  tavern. 
8th.  Two  mills   wrought   by   horses  or   oxen, 
which  grind  merely  for  home  consumption. 

9th.  The  soil  varies  but  little  on  the  dry  lands, 
being  a  rich  black  soil  on  the  surface,  underneath 
a  strong  loam  several  feet  in  depth,  then  stiff  blue 
clay. 

10th.  Timber,  white  oak,  red  oak,  lynn,  elm, 
hard  and  soft  maple,  beech,  ash,  hickory,  black 
and  white  walnut,  poplar,  iron  wood,  and 
cherry, 

llth.  No  minerals,  limestones,  salt,  or  plaster 
of  Paris,  have  been  yet  discovered  ;  nor  is  there 
any  building  stone. 

13th.  Bricks  are  made  in  this  township,  and  sold 
for  11.  1 7s.  6d.  per  thousand  at  the  kiln. 
14th.  No  lime  burnt. 

15th.  Wages  of  a  mason,  10s.  per  diem  ;  a  car- 
penter, 5s.  to  6s.  3d.;  a  blacksmith,  5s.  We  know 
of  no  rule  that  masons  and  carpenters  have  for 
piece-work.  Blacksmiths  sell  their  wrought  iron  for 
Is.  lOfd.  per  Ib. 

16th.  Labourers,  21.  10s.  in  winter,  and  Si.  2s. 
6d.  in  summer  per  month ;  5s.  per  day  in  harvest, 
and  hay.  Wages  for  women  servants,  6s.  3d.  per 
week,  for  house-work  and  spinning. 

17th.  For  mowing  and  putting  in  cocks,  wild 
grass,  5s.  per  ton.  Cradling  wheat,  and  putting 
in  shock,  7s.  6d.  per  acre. 

18th.  For  clearing  five  acres  of  all  timber,  and 

1 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  287 

fencing  it,  251.  For  clearing  five  acres  of  all 
under-brush  and  trees,  under  a  foot  diameter  at 
the  stump,  and  putting  the  same  under  fence, 
151.  12s.  6d. 

19.  A  four-year  old  work  horse,  £15.  A  four- 
year  old  cow,  5\.  12s.  6d.  A  sheep,  £\. 

20th.  Average  quantity  of  wool  from  each  coun- 
try sheep,  two  pounds  and  a  half:  price  2s.  6d. 
per  pound.  Part  Merino,  three  pounds,  3s.  9d. 
per  pound. 

21st.  Cattle  go  to  pasture  about  the  middle 
of  April,  and  are  stabled  or  taken  to  the  yard  about 
the  beginning  of  December. 

22d.  Sleighing  commences  about  the  last  of  De- 
cember, or  beginning  of  January,  and  generally  lasts 
to  the  beginning  of  March.  Ploughing  commences 
the  beginning  of  April. 

23d.  Wheat  is  usually  sown  in  September,  and 
reaping  commences  the  latter  end  of  July. 

24th.  If  wheat  is  sown  early  in  September,  a 
bushel  per  acre  is  sufficient ;  but  if  late  in  Septem- 
ber, one  and  a  quarter  bushel  is  usually  taken. 
Twenty  bushels  of  wheat  per  quarter  is  considered 
an  average  crop. 

25th.  The  wild  range  is  so  extensive,  that  no  one 
has  tame  pasture  for  their  cattle,  nor  can  we,  with 
any  degree  of  certainty,  answer  to  the  increase  of 
an  ox  in  a  summer's  run.  Cheese  and  butter,  Is.  3d. 
per  pound. 

26th.  New  land  is  generally  planted  with  Indian 
corn  in  the  month  of  May,  and  in  September  fol- 
lowing wheat  is  sown  among  the  corn.  After 
taking  off  the  wheat,  the  ensuing  year,  if  the 


288  WESTERN   DISTRICT. 

land  is  a  good  quality,  it  is  again  sown  with  wheat; 
if  not,  it  lays  waste  until  May  or  June,  then 
ploughed,  and  in  September  sown  again  with 
wheat.  Manure  is  not  used  for  any  particular 
crops,  and  was  it  not  for  the  quantities  accumu- 
lating in  barn  yards,  very  little  would  be  used. 
Many  fields  in  the  space  of  25  years  have  produced 
20  crops  without  a  single  shovel  full  of  manure, 
and  the  last  a  good  average  crop. 

27th.  When  arable  land  is  let  on  shares,  the 
tenant  gives  the  proprietor  one  third  what  is  raised; 
thus,  wheat  and  oats  (after  being  cut)  in  the  shock; 
Indian  corn,  when  pulled  and  husked  ;  pease  when 
threshed,  the  proprietor  paying  for  threshing  ;  pota- 
toes and  turnips,  when  dug  or  pulled,  in  the  same 
proportion. 

28th.  At  the  commencement  of  the  settlement, 
lots  of  200  acres,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Thames,  were  sold  at  £'25.  In  1804,  they  sold 
for  £131.  5s.  The  same  lands  are  now  selling  at 
<£2.50  without  improvements.  Back  lands  of  the 
best  quality  may  be  fairly  estimated  at  one  third 
of  these  prices. 

29th.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  state  what  quan- 
tity of  land  is  for  sale  in  the  township,  the  greatest 
part  being  deeded  to  non-residents,  some  of  whom 
are  in  Lower  Canada,  and  others  in  England  ;  nor 
do  we  know  what  quantity  government  has  granted 
to  individuals. 

30th.  The  lands  being  level,  roads  are  good,  and 
easily  kept  in  repair.  The  Thames,  which  washes 
the  north  west  bank  of  this  township,  affords  those 
near  it  an  excellent  means  of  conveyance,  there 
3 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  289 

being  from  18  to  20  feet  water  in  the  river, 
and  from  six  to  seven  feet  on  the  bar  where  it 
empties  into  lake  St.  Clair,  which  affords  water 
enough  for  small  vessels  to  enter  or  go  out  loaded. 
On  the  south  west,  lake  Erie  affords  water  com- 
munication, either  upwards  or  downwards,  for 
vessels  of  any  size.  The  face  of  the  township, 
generally  speaking,  is  low,  particularly  that  part 
joining  Tilbury,  it  being  overflowed  part  of  the 
year;  but  from  pretty  correct  information,  a  wide 
ditch,  half  a  mile  in  length,  leading  into  lake 
Erie,  would  drain  great  part  of  the  wet  lands,  the 
baaks  on  the  lake  being  at  least  80  feet  high,  and 
the  descent  in  the  rear  not  exceeding  10  or  12 
feet.  The  lands  adjoining  Harwich  are  nearly 
all  dry,  and  fit  for  cultivation.  On  the  whole, 
about  one  half  of  the  township,  in  its  present 
state,  is  fit  for  cultivation.  A  plain,  or  meadow, 
about  a  mile  wide,  crosses  the  township  from 
Tilbury  to  Harwich,  within  half  a  mile  of  the 
Thames,  part  of  which  is  considered  of  the  best 
quality  of  land  in  the  township. 

31st.  The  want  of  settlers,  particularly  men  of 
sufficient  means  to  purchase  lands,  we  conceive 
to  be  the  greatest  cause  of  retarding  the  improve- 
ment  of  our  township  :  situated  at  such  a  distance 
from  the  seaports  of  Canada,  those  who  come 
from  Europe  either  think  the  distance  too  great, 
or  have  not  the  means  of  transporting  their  fami- 
lies 600  or  700  miles  after  landing  in  Lower 
Canada.  There  are  many  thousand  acres  of  ex- 
cellent land  now  lying  waste  in  this  township, 
u 


290  WESTERN    DISTRICT. 

which  might  be  bought  or  leased  at  very  mo- 
derate  terms,  were  there  only  purchasers  or  tenants 
to  be  found. 

WM.  M'CRAE,  J.  P.  JACOB  DOLSON, 

THOS.  CROW,  DANIEL  DOLSON, 

JAMES  FORSYTH,  GEO.  JACOB,  Jim. 

HEECKIA  WILLCOX,  WM.   STIRLING, 

JOHN  LAIRD,  JOHN   PECK, 

FRANCIS  DRAKE,  NINIAN  HOLMES. 
JOHN  WILLIAMS, 

NOTE. 

In  the  following  Report,  page  293,  a  canal  is 
mentioned  as  practicable  between  the  townships  of 
Raleigh  and  Tilbury  east,  from  the  Thames  to  lake 
Erie ;  and,  no  doubt,  such  may  be  executed,  were 
the  time  come  in  which  expences  could  be  discharged. 
The  reporters,  I  suspect,  make  a  great  mistake  as  to 
the  fall  of  30  feet,  by  which  is  meant  the  fall  from 
the  surface  level  of  lake  St.  Clair  to  that  of  lake 
Erie.  Mr.  Dencke,  the  Moravian  missionary,  told 
me  that  he  was  at  the  meeting,  and  gave  his  opinion 
that  the  fall  was  not  more  than  ~L5feet.  In  my  opi- 
nion it  is  not  more  than  half  of  that.  There  is  a 
considerable  current  in  Detroit  river ;  but  a  very 
few  feet  of  fall  will  produce  that  appearance,  even 
for  miles. 

In  the  heading  of  next  Report,  Dover,  east  and 
west,  would  make  us  think  there  were  two  townships; 
but  neither  the  map,  no$  the  record  of  civil  divisions, 
justifies  this.  Lord  Selkirk's  purchase  of  upwards 
of  70,000  acres  lies,  I  think,  partly  in  Dover, 
partly  in  Chatham  ;  but  the  reporters  do  not  reckon 
in  their  statement  of  population  his  settlement  at 
Baldoon. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  291 

DOVER,  EAST  AND  WEST,  CHATHAM, 
CAMDEN,  ORFORD,  HOWARD, 
AND  HARWICH,  ON  THE  RIVER 
THAMES. 


A  Report  of  a  Convention  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the 
above  Townships,  in  answer  to  certain  Queries  / 
proposed  by  Mr.  R.  Gourlay. 

2d.  IN  Dover,  east  and  west,  there  are  45  (I  sup- 
pose, inhabited  houses) ;  in  Chatham  27;  Cainden 
17;  Harwich  19;  Howard  25;  Orford  (see  Sup- 
plementj.  The  said  townships  commenced  settling 
in  1794. 

3d.  (Referred  to  Rev.  C.  F.  Denkey),  see  Sup- 
plement. 

4th.  One  practitioner  of  physic. 

5th.  Four  schools — rate  15s.  per  quarter. 

6th.  Seven  stores. 

7th.  Four  taverns. 

8th.  Two  grist  mills.  One  saw  mil! — rate  one 
quarter  of  the  timber  when  sawed.  (See  Supple- 
ment.) 

9th.  A  level  surface  generally  throughout  the 
said  townships  ;  soil  of  the  first  quality,  the  sur- 
face of  which  is  a  black  light  loam,  with  a  grey  ciay 
under,  and  void  of  stone  of  any  description  what- 
ever. 

10th.  Beech,  black  ash,  white  ash,  red  and  white 
oak,  hickory,  black  and  white  walnut,  linden,  bass 


292  WESTERN   DISTRICT. 

wood,  by  some  called  white  wood,  maple,  wild 
cherry,  chestnut,  tulip. 

llth.  (Referred  to  the  Rev.  C.  F.  Denkey),  see 
Supplement. 

15th.  Brick  is  made,  and  sells  at  35s.  per  thou- 
sand. 

14th.  None. 

15th.  Carpenters'  and  smiths'  wages  7s.  6d.  per 
day. — Masons'  10s.  per  day. 

16th.  Men's  wages  average  at  j£30  per  annum:  in 
the  winter  months  40s. ;  summer  months  70s. ;  days 
in  harvest  5s. ;  women's  and  girls'  wages  at  from  5s. 
to  6s.  3d.  per  week. 

17th.  Price  for  mowing  an  acre  of  grass,  harvest- 
ing, cradling,  and  reaping  wheat,  7s.  6d. 

18th.  Clearing  and  fencing  according  to  the 
custom  of  the  country  (say),  leaving  such  timber  as 
can  be  killed  with  the  axe  over  one  foot  diameter, 
at  J4  per  acre. 

19th.  A  work  horse  of  four  years  old  from  £13 
to  £15;  a  good  ox  JlO;  a  good  cow  £6  5s. ;  a 
sheep  from  15s.  to  20s. 

20th.  Average  wool  from  a  sheep  from  three  to 
four  pounds;  price  from  2s.  6d.  to  3s.  9d.  per  pound. 

21st.  Turning  out  to  pasture  about  15th  April, 
and  taken  in  1st  December. 

22d.  Ordinary  sleighing  season,  from  1st  January 
to  the  10th  of  March. 

23d.  Sowing  season  is  from  the  1st  September 
until  10th  October. — Reaping  wheat  commences 
1st  August. 

t.h.  The  quantity  of  wheat  generally  sown  is 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS. 

five  pecks  per  acre,  and  the  increase  from  one  acre 
Is  25  bushels  on  an  average ;  but  when  well  culti- 
vated, will  produce  from  35  to  40  bushels. 

25th.  An  ox  of  four  years  old  will  gain  on  a 
summer  run,  200  pounds:  price  of  butter  and 
cheese  is  Is.  3d.  per  pound. 

26th.  Manure  not  particularly  required, on  ground 
that  has  been  cultivated  upwards  of  10  years. 

27th.  Lands  rent  (particular  spots)  at  12s.  6d. 
per  acre  ;  and  if  on  shares,  at  one  third  of  the  pro- 
duce. 

28th.  Some  farms  in  good  local  situations,  with 
tolerable  buildings  and  orchards  thereon,  well  cul- 
tivated, containing  200  acres  of  land,  sold  for  ^690. 
The  average  price  of  lands  from  the  first  settlement 
of  these  townships,  were  from  2s.  6d.  to  20s.  per 
acre. 

29th.  Not  known. 

30th.  One  on  each  side  of  the  river,  and  not  in 
so  good  repair,  on  account  of  the  facility  of  the  water 
communication.  One  canal  in  particular  is  practi- 
cable of  being  cut  between  the  townships  of  Ra- 
leigh and  Tilbury  East,  from  the  river  Thames 
across  to  lake  Erie,  a  distance  only  of  15  miles  in 
extent,  and  will  admit  of  a  fall  of  30  feet,  which 
canal,  if  made,  will  save  a  distance  of  140  miles  in 
the  communication  to  Fort  Erie,  and  will  be  the 
means  of  draining  thousands  of  acres  of  land. 

31st.  From  the  great  quantities  of  lands  held  by 
individuals  and  absentees,  and  the  want  of  a  popu- 
lation. 

The  quantity  of  wheat  harvested  in  the  summer 


294  WESTERN    DISTRICT. 

of  IS  17,  by  the  small  number  of  114  farmers  resid- 
ing in  the  townships  above  mentioned,  was  40,000 
bushels,  mid  the  lands  in  said  townships  will  pro- 
duce, in  proportionable  abundance,  pease,  oats, 
barley,  Indian  corn,  hemp,  and  flax. 

JOSHUA  CORNWALL,  Chairman. 
JOHN  DOLSON,  Assistant  Chairman. 

By  Order, 
SAMUEL  OSBORN,  Secretary, 


SUPPLEMENT  to  the  Report  of  a  Convention, 
Sfc.  fyc.  on  the  River  Thames. 

QUERY  3d.  In  all  those  named  townships,  there 
is  at  present  but  one  pro  tempore  church  at  Orford 
township,  in  the  Indian  missionariot,  having  one 
stated,  ordained  missionary,  and  an  assistant.  Be- 
sides this,  the  Methodist  connexion  have  regularly 
one  itinerant  missionary  on  the  river. 

The  inhabitant  Indians  on  Orford  township,  are 
in  the  town  of  New  Fairfield,  containing  29 
houses  and  huts,  and  one  church  ;  say  30  buildings, 
inhabited  by  120  Christian  Indians  belonging  to 
the  society.  The  Indians  live  in  27  houses  and 
huts,  then  the  missionary's  and  assistant's  dwellings 
and  a  church  ;  in  all  30  buildings.  Besides  these, 
there  are  wintering  upon  the  tract  47  persons,  who 
attend  Divine  service,  in  all,  167  souls  at  present 
abiding  here  of  the  Delaware  and  Iroquois  nation. 
An  Indian  school  is  kept  in  Indian  and  English. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  295 

In  regular  seasons  more  than  4000  bushels  of  Indian 
corn  was  raised  here.  The  cleared  flats  amount  to 
about  350  acres  of  the  best  soil.  Of  this,  some 
part,  after  yielding  corn*  upwards  of  20  years,  is 
now  sowed  in  wheat. 

QUERY  8th.  As  an  addition  of  one  quarter  is 
given  to  the  sawyer,  ,one  quarter  goes  to  the  mill 
master,  and  the  half  belongs  to  the  log  owners. 

QUERY  llth.  Natural  History  in  general, 
through  its  three  kingdoms,  has  not  yet  been  suf- 
ficiently investigated  ;  therefore  not  much  may  be 
said.  Respecting  the  mineral  kingdom,  the  follow- 
ing may  be  answered  in  a  cursory  view.  In  the 
townships  of  Orford  and  Camden  are  salt  springs  ; 
besides  this,  in  the  first  there  are  several  petrolinian 
springs,  as  the  sulphur  and  naphtha,  or  oil  spring  ;  in- 
dicating, we  think,  coal  in  the  bed.  Besides  this, 
several  fossils,  and  a  kind  of  red  earth,  and  a  softened 
ore  slate,  much  resembling  ochre,  which,  when 
burned,  gives  a  kind  of  paint,  near  to  Spanish  brown. 
Pieces  of  petrifaction  and  ore  found  at  the  bank  of 
the  river  at  the  rapids. 

Potters'  clay  generally  found  throughout  all  the 
townships,  and  potters'  ware  well  made. 

CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  DENKEY-)-, 

Missionary, 

*  When  the  word  CORN  is  used  in  Upper  Canada,  it  always 
means  Indian  corn,  otherwise  called  maize. — R.  G. 

+  A  German  name,  properly  spelt  Dencke ;  but  the  missionary 
writes  as  above,  to  suit  English  pronunciation. — R.  G, 


296 


LONDON    DISTRICT. 


Additional  Information  by  Mr.  Dencke. 

THE  Indians  under  his  charge  have  not  increased 
by  breeding  since  the  first  Moravian  church  estab- 
lishment ;  but  others  come  in  among  them,  as  will 
appear  from  the  following  table : 


Baptisms. 

Years. 

Infants. 

Adults  conie 
into  Society. 

Deaths. 

1800 

6 

2 

5 

1801 

6 

0 

1 

1802 

7 

1 

5 

1803 

12 

2 

7 

1804 

13 

1 

11 

180,5 

4 

1 

5 

1806 

7 

1 

6 

1807 

4 

1 

0 

1808 

5 

0 

5 

1809 

0 

2 

1 

1810 

10 

0 

8 

1811 

4 

2 

2 

1812 

1 

1 

3 

1813 

12 

5 

26 

1814 

9 

0 

20 

1813 

6 

1 

9 

1816 

3 

2 

11 

1817 

3 

3 

6 

114 

25 

131 

|     The  war  will 
/account  for  the 
greater   number 
of  deaths  these 
years :  six  were 
slain  in  battle. 
Mr.  D.  wishes  it  to  be  known  that  no  women 
or  children    of    the   Moravians   were   killed,    all 
having  arrived  safe  at  Burlington  after  their  village 
was  burnt.     Sister  Eleonora,  reported  to  be  killed, 
was  afterwards  seen  alive  by  Mr.  D.  There  was  one 
Chippawa  woman  killed  and  scalped. 
The  habit  and  desire  of  drinking  is  conquered  in 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  297 

general  among  the  Moravian  Indians  ;  but  when 
tipsy,  with  few  exceptions,  or  none,  they  still 
shew  the  savage.  They  have,  of  late  years,  hired 
out  in  harvest  to  neighbouring  farmers,  and  have 
kept  themselves  more  sober  than  the  white  people. 
From  1809,  and  up  to  the  present  time,  more  chil- 
dren have  been  taken  off  by  diseases  (not  small 
pox,  for  Mr.  D.  vaccinates)  but  by  epidemic  and 
bilious  fevers. 

Indians  in  general  make  light  of  marriage.  Mr. 
D.  has  got  those  under  his  charge  to  consider  it 
sacred  and  binding.  As  to  property,  they  do  not 
hold  all  things  in  common.  Town  lots  are  laid 
out  for  buildings  and  gardens,  while  each  Indian 
may  clear  and  fence  in  as  much  land  as  he  chooses, 
keeping  the  produce  to  himself. 

The  women  do  most  of  the  agricultural  work  ; 
cut  and  carry  wood,  plant,  hoe,  and  gather  in  the 
corn,  &c.  The  men  are  chiefly  occupied  in  hunt- 
ing. When  they  bring  home  the  game  it  is  offered 
to  the  women  as  their  property,  while  the  men 
claim  the  produce  of  agriculture  as  theirs.  Prior 
to  the  war  they  had  about  30  horses,  and  oO  horned 
cattle,  besides  a  great  many  hogs  and  poultry.  They 
have  now  from  16  to  20  horses,  10  cows,  and  about 
as  many  other  horned  cattle.  They  make  brooms 
and  baskets  of  swamp  ash  split  down  •  also  mats 
of  the  same  material,  and  of  flags  and  rushes.  They 
stain  these  articles  red  with  the  bark  of  the  alder; 
black  with  that  of  butter  nut  and  black  walnut; 
and  blue  with  indigo,  bought  in  the  stores.  Belt 
cords  for  carrying  burdens  are  made  of  the  wild 


298  LONDON   DISTRICT. 

hemp  (asclapius).  Belts  and  knee  bands  of  woollen 
thread,  the  shreds  of  old  blankets,  &c.  The  men 
are  expert  at  hewing  wood,  erecting  houses,  making 
furniture,  &c.  Corn  is  their  principal  vegetable 
food,  prepared  in  many  different  ways;  and  of  late 
years  a  few  potatoes,  turnips,  and  cabbage,  have 
been  raised. 

Other  Indians  have  vermilion  from  government 
to  paint  their  bodies ;  but  the  Moravians  are  for* 
bidden  to  practise  this. 


SUMMARY   OF  POPULATION,  &C. 

IN  the  above  reported  townships,  there  seem  to 
be  of  white  inhabitants,  reckoning  the  inhabited 
houses  of  Dover,  East  and  West,  Chatham,  Camp- 
den,  Howard,  and  Harwich,  to  contain  six  per- 
sons each,  2728. 

Besides  these  townships,  there  are,  in  the  West- 
ern District,  eight  others,  viz.  Colchester,  Gosfield, 
Mersea,  Romney,  Tilbury,  East  and  West,  Roches- 
ter, and  Maidstone.  The  three  first  began  settling 
in  1784,  under  the  name  of  the  New  settlement,  in 
contradistinction  to  the  old  French  settlement;  and 
we  may  suppose  them  to  contain  1200. 

The  five  remaining  townships  have  no  regular 
settlements,  and  I  have  reason  to  think  they  do 
not  contain  above  30  straggling  houses,  which,  cal- 
culating six  persons  to  each,  will  give  ISO. 

Lord  Selkirk  began  his  settlement  of  Bal- 
doon,  lo  miles  north  of  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Thames,  in  1803,  with  111  people,  of  whom 
3 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  299 

42  died  the  first  season ;  and  the  settlement  was 
laid  waste  during  the  war  by  a  party  of  Americans 
under  *M*  Arthur,  who  landed  here  und  penetrated 
within  a  little  wt»y  of  the  Grand  river.  There  are 
now  (1817)  only  nine  or  ten  families — say  50. 

Making  the  whole  white  population  4158. 

Trie  Indians*  ot  Ortord  are  stated  to  be  in  num- 
ber 167. 

A  little  way  up  the  Thames,  and  on  the  north 
side,  there  are  two  villages,  in  the  tract  called  the 
Longwoods,  ot  Indians,  denominated  Munsies,  ori- 
ginally from  the  States,  but  permitted  to  settle  here 
by  the  Chippawa  Indians.  Their  number  about 
200. 

There  are  two  regular  reserves  for  Indians  in  the 
Western  District,  viz.  that  of  the  Hurons,  between 
Sandwich  and  Maiden  ;  and  the  Shawnese  tract 
lying  north  of  Baldoon.  The  inhabitants  of  these, 
with  parties  which  encamp  in  the  woods  at  various 
places,  do  not,  I  presume,  make  the  whole  Indian 
population,  in  or  within  20  miles  of  surveyed  land, 
amount  in  whole  to  1000. 

To  the  reported  population  of  2728,  there  ap- 
pear to  be  3  Roman  catholic,  I  episcopal,  and  1 
methodist,  preachers,  5  medical  practitioners,  11 
schools,  and  ..18  taverns. 

Improvement  is  said  to  be  retarded  by  crown 
and  clergy  reserves  ;  lands  of  non-occupants  ;  want 
of  settlers  and  capital ;  want  of  incentive  to  emula- 
tion ;  and  a  detect  in  the  system  of  colonization. 


NOTES, 

EXPLANATORY,  CONTINUED  FROM  PAGE  273. 


13th. 

Having  given  the  foregoing  Reports  at  full  length, 
saving  those  few  exceptions  mentioned  in  the  preli- 
minary Notes,  the  reader  will  be  convinced,  that  to 
continue  doing  so  would  occupy  much  room  unneces- 
sarily, and  render  the  perusal,  which  at  any  rate 
must  be  heavy,  from  repetitions,  quite  overburdened, 
lu  the  following  Reports,  then,  nothing  shall  be  ad- 
mitted which  can  be  clearly  expressed  by  figures; 
and  such  information  shall  be  so  arranged  in  Tables 
as  to  appear  at  one  glance  both  for  itself,  for  compa- 
rison, and  for  the  exhibition  of  averages. 


14th. 

The  mode  and  rate  of  charge  for  sawing  timber 
having  been  sufficiently  exemplified  above,  and  the 
practice  throughout  corresponding  thereto,  answers 
to  the  Query  regarding  these  will  henceforth  be 
omitted.  Carding  machines,  and  the  price  of  card- 
ing wool,  will  only  be  noticed  where  these  exist. 

15th. 

There  are  few,  if  any,  wind  mills  in  the  province, 
save  those  abovementioned  in  the  western  district. 
All  that  are  reckoned  in  the  tables,  are  moved  by 
water. 


NOTES.  301 

16th. 

A  bushel  of  rvheat,  is  so  universally  the  allowance 
in  sowing  an  acre,  in  the  early  part  of  the  season, 
that  replies,  as  to  that,  will  be  henceforth  omitted. 
The  quantity  is  increased  as  the  season  gets  ad- 
vanced, to  5  pecks,  and  in  some  cases,  though  few, 
to  6  pecks. 

17th. 

The  prices  of  bricks  and  lime  will  only  be  quoted 
in  the  Tables,  when  made  and  burnt  within  the 
Township. 

18th. 

The  price  of  reaping  and  cradling  wheat  is  so  com- 
monly stated  to  be  that  of  a  bushel  of  wheat,  that  no 
further  notice  will  be  taken  of  it.     Women  generally 
get  for  spinning,  Is.  more  per  week,  than  for  house 
work. 

19th. 

To  quote  all  the  Replies  to  Queries  2lst.  22d.  and 
%3d.  would  be  unnecessarily  tedious.  I  shall,  there- 
fore, only  give  them  in  two  adjoining  Reports  of 
each  District,  which  will  be  quite  sufficient  for  the 
reader  s  information. 

20th. 

When  by  any  turn  of  expression,  singularity  of 
fact,  or  otherwise,  a  reply  is  worthy  of  notice,  it  shall 
appear  at  langth,  independent  of  the  above  general 


302  LONDON    DISTRICT. 


DELAWARE,  WESTMINSTER,  AND 
DORCHESTER. 


At  a  Meeting  of  all  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Town- 
ships  of  Delaware,  Westminster,  and  Dorchester, 
assembled  at  the  House  of  Archibald  M'Millan, 
at  Westminster  Plains,  on  the  15th  December, 
1817,  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  propriety 
of  answering  certain  Queries  submitted  to  the 
Resident  Land  Owners  of  Upper  Canada,  by 
llobert  Gourlay,  Esq.  in  his  Address  of  October 
last,  it  was  unanimously  agreed,  that  the  said 
Queries  could  not  be  so  correctly  answered  by  the 
People  in  their  collective  Capacity,  as  by  certain 
discreet  Persons,  delegated  by  them  for  that  Pur- 
pose. They,  therefore,  elected  a  Committee, 
consisting  of  Daniel  Springer,  Esq.  Mr.  Gideon 
Tiffaney,  Mr.  B.  B.  Brigam,  Mr.  Timothy 
Kilbourn,  Mr.  Joseph  Webster,  Mr.  Archibald 
M'Millan,  Mr.  Aaron  Kilbourn,  Mr.  Andrew 
Banghart,  Mr.  Jacobus  Shenich,  Mr.  Joseph 
Idel,  Mr.  Joseph  Flaningan,  Mr.  Seth  Putman, 
Mr.  Sylvanis  Reynolds,  Mr.  James  A.  Mullet, 
to  constitute  and  form  a  Committee  to  answer  the 
said  Queries,  in  such  a  Marnier  as  to  them  might 
seem  expedient,  and  to  meet  for  that  Purpose  on 
the  llth  Instant.  The  Meeting  adjourned. 

Westminster  Plains,  17th  December,  1817. 

THE  Committee* met  pursuant  to  adjournment, 

and  elected  Daniel  Springer,  Esq.  Chairman,  and 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  303 

Mr.  Joseph  Webster,  Secretary,  when  the  follow- 
ing were  adopted,  as  answers  to  the  said  Queries: 

3d.  In  Delaware,  one  church,  but  no  Clergyman*. 
Westminster,  no  church  ;  but  visited  by  itinerant 
preachers.  Dorchester  the  same. 

9th.  All,  generally  speaking,  levelj-  and  well 
watered,  with  a  marly  loamy  soil,  and  extensive 
flats  on  the  Thames. 

10th.  White  pine,  red  and  white  oak,  cherry, 
elm,  black  walnut,  ash,  beech,  maple,  and  bass-wood. 

llth.  No  minerals  in  Delaware;  but  there  is 
iron  ore  in  Westminster  and  Dorchester. 

12th.  Some  building  stones  of  good  quality  in 
each  township. 

14th.  Farmers  burn  lime  in  log  heaps,  conse- 
quently no  particular  price  per  bushel. 

25th.  Not  only  the  flats  of  the  Thames,  but 
woods  in  general,  are  covered  with  grass,  in  a  state 
of  nature,  which  is  good.  An  ox  will  gain  one- 
fourth  of  his  weight  with  a  summer's  run. 

26th.  First  crop,  wheat  harrowed  in  and  stocked 
with  grass.  When  the  sod  is  broken  up,  we  sum- 
mer fallow  and  sow  with  wheat.  No  manure  has 
yet  been  applied. 


*  This  church  was  erected  in  a  beautiful  situation  during  Sim- 
coe's  government.  It  is  now  falling  to  wreck,  a  sad  monument  of 
an  unprincipled  departure  from  liberal  measures.— R.  G. 

+  In  Westminster  there  is  considerable  inequality  of  surface. 
The  high  road  at  one  place  rises  perhaps  150  feet  abore  the 
Thames.— R.  G. 


304  LONDON   DISTRICT. 

27th.  Very  little  land  is  rented  or  let  on  shares. 
The  land,  if  let,  draws  one-third  of  the  crop. 
Land  is  so  plenty,  that  almost  every  person  is  the 
owner  of  some. 

28th.  The  flats  on  the  Thames  have  always  sold 
high,  and  are  now  worth  £3  per  acre. 

29th.  There  are  lands  for  sale;  but  the  quantity 
is  not  ascertained. 

30th.  The  public  roads  are  not  in  a  very  good 
state,  but  are  gradually  improving,  by  means  of 
annual  labour,  which  the  law  imposes  on  every 
individual  inhabitant.  Our  townships  are  bound- 
ed on  the  river  Thames,  which  affords  a  good 
water  communication  to  Sandwich  and  Amherst- 
burgh. 

31st.  The  greater  part  of  the  lands  which  con- 
stitute the  township  of  Delaware,  were  granted 
many  years  ago  to  persons  not  resident  in  this 
part  of  the  province ;  or  are  crown  and  clergy 
reserves,  which  has  been  and  still  continues  to  be 
an  unsurmountable  obstacle  to  the  formation  of  a 
compact  settlement  in  it.  In  the  township  of 
Westminster,  no  lands  have  as  yet  been  granted, 
but  to  actual  settlers.  And  if  that  system  is  pur- 
sued by  the  government,  it  will,  no  doubt,  soon 
form  a  most  delightful,  populous,  and  wealthy 
settlement. 

The  principal  part  of  the  township  of  Dorchester, 
which  is  not  composed  of  crown  and  clergy  re- 
serves, has  been  granted  to  persons  not  resident  in 
this  part  of  the  province ;  and  there  does  not  ap- 
pear at  present  to  be  any  probability  that  it  will 
1 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  305 

be  settled  soon,  unless  men  of  capital  should  pur- 
chase. 

If  his  Majesty's  government  should  grant  or 
dispose  of  the  crown  and  clergy  reserves  to  actual 
settlers,  and  the  colonial  legislature  should  lay  a 
tax  upon  the  lands  of  absentees,  so  as  to  induce 
them  to  sell  or  contribute  to  the  improvement  of 
roads,  &c.  we  are  of  opinion  that  the  province  in 
general  would  be  more  prosperous  and  happy. 

If  granting  the  lands  bounded  on  Dundas  street 
to  actual  settlers  only,  had  not  been  deviated  from*, 
the  province  would  most  unquestionably  be  in  a 
much  higher  state  of  improvement,  by  the  passage 
of  so  direct  and  well  settled  a  road  through  it. 
And  we  esteem  it  as  an  object  of  the  most  primary 
importance  to  the  welfare  of  the  province,  for  the 
Colonial  Executive  Government  to  purchase  from 
the  natives,  the  tract  of  land  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Thames,  between  the  township  of  Delaware 
and  the  Moravian  grant,  the  road  through  which 
is  now  in  a  tolerable  state,  and  lay  out  a  continu- 
ation of  Dundas  street  through  the  same,  subject 
to  actual  settlement  on  the  principle  of  Talbot 
road. 

By  order  of  the  Committee, 

(Signed)  DANIEL  SPRINGER, 

Chairman. 
(Signed) 
JOSEPH  WEBSTER,  Secretary. 

*  It  was  deviated  from  immediately  after  Governor  Simeoe  wai 
recalled.— R.  G. 


306  STATISTICAL 

Shewing  the  commencement  of  improvement  in 


Names  of  Settlers. 

To  what  Profession 
bred. 

Native  of 

How  long  in  Canada 

Family  at  Home. 

Henry  Crook   .  ..  . 

Farmer  and  lime 

ArMci0"!!     Ire* 

Ar  iv  d  th' 

Awifp 

burner. 

land. 

year,  1817. 

WHc. 

Wm.  Orr    

Farmer  and 

Ditto. 

Ditto. 

Wif>   2rhildr*>n 

weaver. 

w  lie,  >6cniiQreii 
and  sister. 

John  Smith     

Farmer  and 

United  States. 

30  years. 

Wife  and  fi  r>Ml 

shoemaker. 

W  lie   cLDU  O  CHI1- 

dren. 

James  Tomlinson  .. 

Distiller. 

Ditto. 

20  ditto. 

Wife  and  3  chil. 

Joseph  Lyons     

Farmer. 

Ditto. 

8  ditto. 

Wife  and  1  child 

Thomas  Orr    

Weaver  and 

Armagh,  I  re- 

Arrived  this 

-    .  

farmer. 

land. 

year. 

Isaac  Riley    

Carpenter  and 

Ditto. 

Ditto. 

Wife  not  ar- 

farmer. 

rived. 

Joseph  Tomlinson  ... 

Farmer. 

United  States. 

20  years. 

Wife  and  3  chil- 

dren. 

Lawrence  Renney  ... 

Ditto. 

Canada. 

Lifetime. 

Wife. 

Samuel  Renney  

Ditto. 

Ditto. 

Ditto. 



Andrew  Nevells     ... 

Ditto. 

Ditto. 

Ditto. 

Wife  and!  child 

Daniel  McPberson... 

Ditto. 

United  States. 

25  years. 

Wife  and  4  chil- 

dren. 

Garden  Chapel  

Ditto. 

Ditto. 

19  ditto. 

Wife. 

Charles  Pettys   

Ditto. 

Ditto. 

30  ditto. 

Wife  and  2  chil- 

dren. 

John  Commons  

Ditto. 

Ditto. 

6  ditto. 

Ditto. 

Samuel  Hunt  

7armerand  Cur- 

Ditto. 

6  ditto. 

Wife  and  3  chil- 

rier. 

dren. 

John  Vansickel  

Farmer. 

Ditto. 

11  ditto. 

Wife  and  5  chil- 

dren. 

Aaron  Kilburn   

Millwright. 

Ditto. 

21  ditto. 

Wife  and  7  chil. 

Andrew  Banghart  ... 

Carpenter. 

Ditto. 

9  ditto. 

Wife  and  5  chil. 

Abraham  S'oot  

Carpenter  and 

Canada. 

Lifetime. 

Wife  and  3  chil- 

Farmer. 

ren,  father  and 

mother. 

Vernum  Mathews  ... 

Farmer. 

United  States. 

23  years. 

Wife  and  5  chil- 

dren. 

21  Farmers,  19  Wives',  51  Children,—  ! 

n  all  94  Persons. 

The  above  Table  was  made  out  by  me  when  travelling  through  the  country,  and 
I  left  schedules  to  be  filled  up  in  Norwich,  and  on  the  Talbot  Road,  which  will  be 
fouml  in  their  proper  places.  This  table  exhibits  a  settlement  just  beginning.  They 
mark  the  progress  of  some  years  of  improvement. — R.  G. 


TABLE.  307 

Westminster  New  Settlement,  London  District. 


LIVE  STOCK. 

Date  of  commencing 
improvement. 

i  i    1 

£         o 

i 

o 

X 

i 

w 

Number  of 
Acr°s  put  ic 
crop  aii!! 

L 

Dimension 
of  house 
ereeced. 

Sizeo; 
farm. 

Original  cost. 

17th  August, 

2 

2 

0 

0 

0 

3 

W  by  1 

•200 

41  Dollars 

1817. 

and    Is. 

Ditto. 

1 

2 

0 

0 

0 

4* 

27  by  1 

Do. 

Do. 

1st  June,  1817 

2 

Bull  &4 
yo.cattle 

0 

0 

0 

7 

18  by  1 

Do. 

Free,  being  a 
U.  E.  loyalist. 

July,  1816. 

2 

2 

0 

0 

0 

15 

30  by  1 

Do. 

41DolIars&ls. 

Nov.  1816. 

2 

0 

0 

0 

10  mo. 

i 

20  by  18 

Do. 

Do. 

unwell. 

1st  Oct.  181  7. 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2§ 

0 

Do. 

Do. 

17th  August, 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

7 

0 

Do. 

Do. 

1817. 

June,  1816. 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

7 

22  by  17 

Do. 

Do. 

1st  March,  1817. 

2 

2 

0 

0 

4* 

'* 

0 

Do. 

Do. 

Ditto. 

1 

2 

0 

0 

3 

5 

20  by  16 

Do. 

Do. 

Ditto. 

0 

2 

0 

0 

6 

6 

26  by  18 

Do. 

Do. 

Began  1816,  Set- 

3 

2 

2 

0 

0 

5 

28  by  20 

Do. 

Do. 

tied  Sept.  1817. 

March,   1817. 

1 

2 

0 

0 

2 

5 

21  by  18 

Do. 

Do. 

Ditto. 

2 

0 

1 

7 

4| 

11 

24  by  16 

Do. 

Do. 

Ditto. 

1 

2 

0 

7 

3 

13 

20  by  20 

Do. 

Do. 

Ditto. 

2 

2 

0 

0 

13 

17 

22  by  22 

Do. 

Do. 

10th  June, 

2 

2 

0 

0 

4 

0 

20  by  20 

Do. 

Do. 

Ditto. 

April,  Ditto. 

3 

2 

2 

12 

15 

5 

8  by  16 

Do. 

Do. 

March,  Ditto. 

2 

0 

2 

0 

10 

22 

0  by  14 

Do. 

Do. 

February, 

1 

0 

0 

0 

4 

5£ 

0  by  20 

Do. 

rree,  beinp  a 

Ditto. 

[7.  E.  loyalist. 

June,  Ditto. 

3 

0 

1 

0 

4 

0 

2  by  22 

Do. 

41  Doll  ns 

and  Is.* 

Total*.           32 

29 

8 

26 

73 

75J 

*  The  fees  were  lately  raised  from  91.  7s.  6d.  to  this  sum. 


x  2 


308  LONDON   DISTRICT. 

OXFORD. 

At  a  Meeting  of  the  Resident  Landholders  of  the 
Township  of  Oxford,  held  at  the  School-house 
on  Wednesday  the  24th  day  of  December,  1817, 
for  the  Purpose  of  taking  into  Consideration  the 
Propriety  of  answering  certain  Queries  proposed 
in  an  Address  to  the  Resident  Landowners  of 
Upper  Canada,  published  in  the  Upper  Canada 
Gazette  in  October  last,  and  signed  Itobert 
Gourlay  ;  Peter  Teeple,  Esq.  in  the  Chair. 

IT  was  resolved  unanimously,  That  we  conceive 
it  proper  to  answer  the  same,  and  that  the  fol- 
lowing answers  to  the  Queries,  as  they  come  in 
order,  be  given. 

9th.  Soil,  a  dark  loam  surface ;  level,  and  ex- 
tremely well  watered. 

10th.  Timber — maple,  beech,  elm,  pine,  cedar, 
oak,  cherry,  ash,  basswood,  and  butternut. 

llth.  Abundance  of  limestone:  a  sulphur 
spring. 

12th.  None. 

21st.  Ordinary  time  of  turning  out  beasts  to  pas- 
ture, first  of  April ;  and  taking  them  in,  1st  December. 

22d.  Sleighing,  two  months;  ploughing  com- 
mences 1st  of  April. 

23d.  Wheat  sown  in  September,  and  reaped  in 
August. 

25th.  Pasture  good  ;  an  ox  will  gain  one  fourth 
in  a  summer's  run ;  quality  of  the  dairy  produce 
is  good. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.       .  309 

26th.  First  crop  wheat:  second  Indian  corn,  or 
oats:  land  stocked  with  grass,  with  the  oat  crop, 
and,  with  rye  after  the  corn.  When  broken  up 
from  grass,  wheat  or  peas  :  no  manure  has  been  ap- 
plied. 

27th.  Land  sometimes  let  on  shares ;  the  owner 
of  the  land  receives  one  third  of  the  crop  in  the 
field  when  harvested. 

28th.  A  two  hundred  acre  lot,  with  thirty  acres 
cultivated  land,  a  log  house,  and  frame  barn,  30 
by  40  feet,  is  worth  £500. 

28th.  Greatest  part  of  the  land  in  the  township 
for  sale. 

50th.  Roads  tolerably  good ;  can  be  much  im- 
proved at  a  moderate  ex  pence  ;  conveyance  by 
water  down  the  river  Thames ;  the  north-east 
branch  of  the  river  passing  through  the  township. 
The  navigation  of  the  river  is  capable  of  improve- 
ment, by  removing  some  obstructions,  and  deepen- 
ing the  channel  in  some  places. 

31st.  We  conceive  that  a  want  of  persons  of 
ability  to  purchase  the  lands  in  the  township,  and 
becoming  actual  settlers,  is  what  principally  re- 
tards the  improvement  of  the  same. 

It  is  unanimously  agreed,  that  the  Chairman  do 
sign  the  proceedings  of  this  day,  and  transmit  the 
same  to  Mr.  Gourlay. 

(Signed)        PETER  TEEPLE, 
Chairman. 


310  „          LONDON   DISTRICT. 

BLENHEIM  AND  THE  FIRST  CONCES- 
SION OF  BURFORD. 

9th.  Sand  and  loam,  with  some  good  clay ;  a  good 
soil. 

10th.  Beech,  maple,  oak,  hickory,  and  good 
pine  mixed  with  other,  as  elm,  bass,  and  white 
ash  :  of  the  maple,  sugar  is  made,  of  which  one 
man  will  make  5  cwt.  in  six  weeks. 

llth.  Minerals  none,  except  a  few  limestone  on 
the  surface. 

12th.  None  discovered  as  yet. 

18th.  New  land  31.  15s.  per  acre ;  the  first  crop 
generally  pays  it. 

21st.  Middle  of  April,  turn  out ;  take  into  barn 
1st  of  December. 

22d.  Sleighing  two  months  ;  ploughing  com- 
mences 20th  of  April. 

23d.  September,  sowing ;  reaping  in  August. 

25th.  Quality  good,  suppose  one-fifth  or  one- 
sixth  ;  2d.  one  cow  will  make  three  quarters 
of  a  pound  of  butter  per  day. 

26th.  To  clear  and  fence,  three  years  crop:  from 
grass,  one-third  for  land,  manure  applied  for  none  ; 
not  being  wanted. 

27th.  Some  let  for  the  half;  the  owner  finding 
team. 

28th.  Drawn  from  government  at  first;  price 
from  10s.  to  Us.  at  this  time — Farms  at  31.  15s. 
per  acre;  or,  21.  with  log  buildings. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  311 

29th.  Not  known;  but  we  suppose  all  but  what 
is  now  occupied ;  probably  50  lots  not  sold,  except 
two-sevenths  reserves. 

30th.  Roads  good,  for  new ;  might  be  better  by 
work  ;  one  small  river  for  rafts. 

31st.  Not  certainly  known,  but  we  suppose  that 
land  being  not  known  where  the  owners  are,  and 
there  not  being  any  highway  tax  on  non-resident 
lands  to  be  paid  in  the  town,  or  the  land  to  be  sold. 
The  above  answers  given  by  a  general  meeting, 
holden  on  Dundas  street,  in  Blenheim,  and  signed 
by  us,  being  landholders  in  said  places  first  men- 
tioned, this  2d  day  of  December,  1817,  and 
by  our  Chairman, 

SAMUEL  BARTLETT. 
JOSIAL  F.  DEAN.        HENRY  DANIAD. 
STEPHEN  GRAHAM.    JOHN  EACHENS. 
JOHN  GALBRAITH.    ALEX.  STARKEY. 
SILAS  MARTIN.          JAMES  SMILEY. 


BURFORD. 


At  a  Meeting  of  the  principal  Inhabitants  of  Bur- 
ford,  and  the  Gore  of  Burford,  assembled  for  the 
purpose  of  answering  certain  Queries,  proposed 
by  Mr.  Gourlay,  respecting  the  general  and  par- 
ticular State  of  the  said  Township. 

LiEux.-CoL.  WILLIAM  D.  BOWEN,  Chairman. 


312  LONDON   DISTRICT. 

8th.  One  fulling  mill,  one  carding  machine,  6d. 
per  Ib.  for  carding. 

9th.  The  township  of  Burford  and  the  Gore,  has 
a  level  surface,  interspersed  with  useful  streams 
and  springs,  the  water  very  fine.  The  soil  a  sandy 
loam,  fertile  and  durable, 

10th.  Timbered  with  sugar  maple,  beech,  white 
pine,  white,  black,  red,  chesnut,  &c.  oak,  white 
and  red  elm,  basswood,  butternut,  white  and  black 
ash,  hickory,  chesnut,  cedar,  &c, 

llth.  An  indication  of  iron  ore  has  lately  been 
discovered,  on  a  branch  of  the  Grand  river,  that 
runs  through  the  township :  no  other  minerals 
have  yet  been  discovered. 

12th.  Stone  scarce,  and  none  fit  for  building. 

15th.  Four  blacksmiths,  who  charge  for  shoeing 
ahorse  12s.  6d.  for  an  axe  12s.  6d.  for  a  scythe  8s.9d. 
There  are  two  tailors,  who  charge  27s.  6d.  for 
making  a  coat,  and  10s.  for  pantaloons :  two  shoe- 
makers, who  charge  3s.  9d.  for  making  a  pair  of 
shoes:  five  carpenters,  charge  10s.  per  day  and 
found. 

25th.  The  pasture  is  capable  of  great  improve- 
ment. A  cow  is  estimated  to  give  one  Ib.  of  butter 
and  two  of  cheese  per  day. 

26th.  Wheat  is  the  first  crop  put  on  new  lands, 
afterwards  Indian  corn,  rye,  oats,  peas,  flax,  pota- 
toes, &c.  Plaster  of  Fans  is  used  as  a  manure  for 
clover,  on  the  plains,  one  bushel  of  which  is  sown 
per  acre,  and  the  ordinary  crop  of  -clover  is  three 
tons  per  acre  ;  little  other  manure  is  used. 

27th.  Land  is  let  out  to  no  great  extent,  new 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  313 

land  on  the  plains  is  let  for  the  halves,  the  person 
who  takes  it,  to  be  at  hair' of  the  expense  of  clear- 
ing, fencing,  ploughing,  and  harvesting.  It  (the 
crop)  is  divided  in  the  sheaf.  On  improved  lands, 
if  the  owner  finds  team,  plough,  board,  and  lodging, 
the  workman  has  one  third  of  the  crop,  divided  in 
the  sheaf. 

29th.  The  quantity  of  land  for  sale  within  the 
township  unknown,  and  the  owners  of  the  soil 
generally  unknown  to  the  inhabitants. 

30th.  The  roads  on  the  plains  generally  good, 
and  made  at  a  small  ex  pence.  In  the  wood  lands, 
they  are  capable  of  great  improvement,  which 
might  be  accomplished  at  no  great  ex  pence. 

3 1 st.  The  principal  cause  affecting  the  prosperity 
and  growth  of  the  township,  is  considered  by  the 
inhabitants  at  this  meeting,  as  resulting  from,  the 
quantities  of  land  granted  to  non-residents,  and  the 
great  number  of  reserved  lots  ;  these  reserves  being 
scattered  all  over  the  township,  not  only  preclude 
the  compact  settlement  of  the  same,  but  materially 
affects  its  settlement  in  general;  as  the  purchaser 
of  a  lot,  if  he  is  not  so  fortunate  as  to  procure  one 
handy  to  the  roads  already  made,  is  under  the 
necessity  of  making  them,  through  perhaps  several 
reserves,  and  the  lands  belonging  to  people  that 
reside  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  thereby  enhancing 
their  value  at  a  great  individual  expence. 

We  consider  that  good  English  farmers,  mecha* 
nics,  and  labourers,  if  they  could  obtain  lands  in 
this  township,  and  all  the  crown  and  a  proportion 
of  the  clergy  reserves,  sold  or  given  to  actual  set> 

2 


314  LONDON    DISTRICT. 

tiers,  would  be  an  object  of  great  importance  to  the 
further  improvement  and  growth  of  this  township. 
Signed,  in  behnlf  of  the  Inhabitants,  by 

WILLIAM  D.  BOWEN,  Chairman. 

Burford,  5tk  Dec.  1817. 


WINDHAM. 

MR.  ROBERT  GOURLAY. 

SIR, 

HAVING  received  a  circular  letter,  with 
your  signature,  directed  to  the  Collector  and  Town 
Clerk  of  the  Township, of  Windham,  requesting  a 
reply  to  each  query  set  forth  in  your  address,  we 
therefore  subscribe  to  this  our  reply,  and  consider 
ourselves  answerable  for  whatever  is  advanced. 

3d.  We  have  no  church  or  chapel  in  the  town- 
ship, but  most  of  the  houses  are  open  for  preach- 
ing. There  is  one  professional  preacher  of  the 
Presbyterian  order,  and  there  are  itinerant  preachers 
of  the  Methodist  order,  that  preach  once  in  two 
weeks,  in  different  parts  of  the  township,  and 
sometimes  we  have  Baptist  preaching. 

4th.  We  have  no  medical  practitioner  in  the 
township,  but  we  can  generally  get  one  within  eight 
or  ten  miles. 

6th.  We  have  two  schools,  we  board  the  teach- 
ers, and  give  them  121.  10s.  per  quarter. 

6th.  We  have  two  small  stores ;  but  we  can  be 
3 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  315 

supplied  with  goods  from  the  neighbouring  town- 
ships. 

7th.  We  have  no  taverns;  but  we  profess  to  be 
a  hospitable  people,  and  do  entertain  strangers. 

8th.  There  are  a  number  of  good  mill  seats  in 
the  township,  but  the  parts  where  they  lay  are 
unsettled,  and  those  parts  that  are  settled  lay  near 
the  settled  parts  of  other  townships  that  have  mills. 

9th.  The  general  character  of  the  soil  is  loam 
and  sand,  without  gravel  or  stone,  and  the  surface 
level  in  a  general  way,  without  high  hills  or  bad 
swamps,  except  about  1000  acres  near  the  middle 
of  the  township,  which  may  in  time  become  the 
best  part  of  the  township,  by  ditching  and  clear- 
ing off  the  timber;  perhaps  there  is  not  over  200 
acres  that  is  not  covered  With  timber  in  this 
swamp. 

10th.  The  timber  on  the  high  dry  lands  is  mostly 
oak,  pine,  and  chesnut;  on  the  low  moist  lands, 
beech  and  maple,  elm  and  ash,  and  almost  every 
kind  of  timber  that  the  country  affords. 

lith.  No  minerals  have  as  yet  been  discovered  in 
the  township;  there  is  excellent  iron  ore  in  the 
adjoining  township  of  Charlotteville. 

l*2th.  There  is  but  one  place  in  the  township 
where  building  stone  has  been  discovered,  but  it 
is  not  settled  near  the  place,  so  that  it  is  not  much 
used. 

24th.  We  sow  one  bushel  of  wheat  per  acre 
in  the  good  season  for  sowing,  in  the  late  season 
we  sow  a  few  quarts  more;  and  if  the  ground 
is  in  good  order  for  sowing,  it  will  average  15 


316  LONDON   DISTRICT. 

bushels  per  acre,  although  there  are  many  instances 
that  the  yield  has  been  from  20  to  30  bushels  per 
acre. 

26th.  We  have  no  regular  mode  of  farming  our 
land :  as  to  particular  kind  of  grain,  very  little 
manure  has  as  yet  been  wanted;  but  we  find  that 
plaster  has  a  good  effect  upon  our  land,  of  which 
there  is  plenty  in  our  country,  within  a  few  miles 
of  our  township. 

27th.  We  frequently  let  out  land  to  crop,  on 
shares :  the  terms  generally  are  for  the  cropper  to 
find  team  and  seed,  and  to  give  his  landlord  one- 
third  ;  of  the  winter  crop,  in  stock  in  the  field ; 
the  summer  crop,  if  Indian  corn,  in  the  ear ;  if 
buck  wheat,  ready  for  the  granary ;  if  oats,  in 
the  sheaf;  if  potatoes,  in  the  half  bushel;  but  if 
the  landlord  find  team  and  seed,  he  takes  two- 
thirds,  and  the  croppers  one-third. 

28th.  At  our  first  settlement,  wild  land  sold 
for  5s.  per  acre;  at  present  the  wild  land  in  the  un- 
settled parts  of  the  township  will  sell  for  10s.  per 
acre  ;  but  there  is  wild  land  in  the  settlement  that 
cannot  be  bought  for  11.  5s.  per  acre;  and  some 
improved  farms  are  held  at  31.  15s.  per  acre,  where 
there  is  not  above  60  acres  improved;  but  there 
have  been  actual  sales  of  farms,  from  ll.  5s.  to  3l. 
15s.  per  acre,  according  to  the  improvement  made 
on  them. 

29th.  There  is  not  less  than  57,000  acres  of 
wild  land  now  in  the  township  for  sale. 

30th.  In  laying  out  the  township  into  200  acre 
lots,  government  has  reserved  five  public  roads 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  317 

from  north  to  south,  and  fourteen  from  east  lo  west, 
each  one  chain  in  width,  so  that  every  200  acre 
lot  touches  two  of  these  roads,  and  every  fifth  lot 
touches  three  of  them. 

Statute  labour  is  done  on  them  as  far  as  the  set- 
tlement extends,  and  if  it  were  settled,  there  soon 
would  be  good  roads  throughout  the  township, 
by  statute  labour  alone. 

31st.  In  our  most  candid  opinion  there  is  nothing 
wanting,  but  the  filling  up  with  industrious  men, 
men  of  property,  monied  men,  men  of  enterprise, 
speculative  men  with  capital,  to  make  our  town- 
ship, our  county,  our  district,  one  of  the  best 
countries  for  farming  in  all  British  America;  and, 
lastly,  could  a  liberal  system  of  emigration  be  set 
on  foot,  and  men  of  enterprise,  skill,  and  capital, 
be  induced  to  come  among  us,  they  would  find 
a  high  rate  of  interest  and  substantial  security. 

Windham,  December  4th,  1817. 

(Signed) 

GABRIEL  COLLOW,  JONATHAN  AXFORD, 

JOHN  TISDALE,  JOSEPH  AXFORD, 

JOHN  ROBINS,  BENJAMIN  HOWELL, 

A,  COWELL,  ABRAHAM  YOUNGS, 

SAMUEL  WOOD,  JOHN  BRAY, 

DAVID  HUNTER,  SAMUEL  HORTON, 

BENJAMIN  YOUNG,  ASA  COLLVER, 

SAMUEL  FISHER,  WILLIAM  DELL, 

PHILIP  FORCE,  SEN.  PHILIP  FORCE,  JUN. 

JABEZ  COLLVER,  WILLIAM  FORCE. 
PHILIP  BUTLER. 


318  LONDON  DISTRICT. 

TOWNSEND. 

Dec.  6,  1817. 

A  Meeting  having  been  recommended  by  the  Ma- 
gistrates of  this  Division,  to  consider  of  Mr. 
Robert  Gourlays  Address,  published  in  the  Upper 
Canada  Gazette  of  the  SQth  of  October  last,  and 
reply  to  his  Queries  : 

WE,  the  inhabitants  (freeholders  of  the  township 
of  Townsend),  have  this  day  assembled  at  the 
house  of  Job  Lodor,  of  the  aforesaid  township, 
and  Morris  Sovereene  has  been  unanimously  called 
to  the  chair,  and  the  following  answers  to  the 
queries  have  been  adopted  ;  the  Chairman  is  re- 
quested to  sign  the  same  in  the  name  of  the 
meeting,  and  transmit  it  to  the  above  magistrates, 
to  be  forwarded  to  Mr.  Robert  Gourlay. 

9th.  The  soil  is  of  a  good  quality,  producing 
wheat,  rye,  Indian  corn,  oats,  buckwheat,  peas,  and 
potatoes  in  abundance.  The  surface  of  the  earth  is 
level  and  well  watered. 

10th.  The  timber  is  sugar  maple,  beech,  oak, 
pine,  bass  wood,  elm,  butternut,  white  ash,  hickory, 
and  chestnut. 

llth.  Limestone  abounds  here,  and  is  the  prin- 
cipal stone  made  use  of.  There  is  one  medicinal 
spring  of  considerable  note.  There  has  not  been 
any  quarries  of  free  stone  discovered  as  yet. 

15th.  The  price  of  blacksmith's  work  is  7fd.  per 
Ib.  for  making  all  kinds  of  farming  utensils,  spikes, 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  319 

17th.  The  price  of  mowing  grass  for  hay  is  5s. 
an  acre,  for  cradling  and  binding  wheat,  6s.  3d.  an 
acre. 

18th.  The  cost  of  clearing  and  fencing  an  acre  of 
timbered  land  is  61.  5s. ;  of  plains,  21.  10s.  an  acre. 
25th.  Pastures  are  good ;  an  ox,  of  four  years 
old,  will  weigh  700lb.  by  having  a  summer's  run  ; 
In  timbered  land,  after  the  timber  is  cleared  off, 
the  seed  is  harrowed  in ;  but  on  the  plains  it  is 
first  ploughed. 

26th.  Manure  is  used  for  wheat  and  corn. 
27th.  When  land  is  let  on  shares,  the  owner  re- 
ceives one-third  of  the  produce. 

28th.    Farms,  say  one-fourth  cleared,  with  a  log 
house  and  barn,  will  fetch  11. 5s.  an  acre. 

29th.  There  are  about  20,000  acres  of  land  now 
for  sale. 

30th.  The  roads  are  good. 

31st.  One  great  reason  why  this  township  is 
not  more  settled,  is  that  a  great  part  of  the  unsettled 
land  was  granted  in  large  quantities  to  gentlemen, 
many  of  them  residing  in  England  and  elsewhere, 
who  do  not  wish  to  dispose  of  it.  Another  is  the 
vast  number  of  crown  and  clergy  reserves,  many  of 
them  situated  in  the  very  place,  where,  if  they 
would  be  exchanged  or  sold,  there  might  be  a 
handsome  village  erected  in  a  short  time  ;  and  an- 
other is  the  want  of  cash,  to  make  improvements 
with. 

(Signed) 
MORRIS  SOVEREENE,  Chairman. 


320  LONDON   DISTRICT. 


WALPOLE  AND  RAINHAM. 


Dec.  19,  1817. 

A  Meeting  having  been  recommended  by  the  Ma* 

gistrates  of  this  Division    to  consider  of  Mr. 

Robert    Gourlay's    Address,    published   in    the 

Upper  Canada  Gazette,  of  the  30th  of  October 

last,  and  to  reply  to  his  Queries : 

WE,  the  inhabitant  householders  of  the  town- 
ships of  Walpole  and  Rainham,  have  this  day 
assembled  at  the  house  of  Abraham  Hoover,  of  the 
aforesaid  township,  Mr.  Abraham  Hoover  being 
unanimously  called  to  the  chair,  the  following 
Answers  to  the  Queries  have  been  adopted,  and 
the  chairman  is  requested  to  sign  the  same  in 
the  name  of  the  meeting,  and  transmit  to  the 
above  Magistrates  to  be  forwarded  to  Mr.  Robert 
Gourlay. 

9th.  The  soil  is  chiefly  clay,  with  a  rich  surface. 

10th.  It  abounds  with  most  kinds  of  timber. 
The  most  abounding  is  oak. 

llth.  No  ore  has  as  yet  been  discovered.  There 
are  three  sulphur  springs. 

12th.  Plenty  of  limestone  can  be  had  at  the 
quarry  for  10s.  per  toise. 

17th.  Three  shillings  and  ninepence  per  day  is 
allowed  for  cutting  grass  for  hay  ;  and  the  price  of 
reaping  and  cradling  wheat  per  day  is  equal  to  the 
price  of  a  bushel  of  wheat. 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  321 

25th.  Here  the  pasture  is  a  mixture  of  clover 
and  Timothy.  Seven  pounds  of  butter  can  be 
made  per  week  with  one  cow,  and  ten  of  cheese. 

2b'th.  The  usual  course  of  crops  are,  first,  wheat, 
then  Indian  corn,  or  any  other  grain :  and  manure 
is  chiefly  use'd  tbr^Indian  corn,  and  potatoes. 

27th.  Considerable  quantities  of  land  are  let  on 
shares,  for  which  the  landlord  receives  one-third. 

29th.  Upwards  of  thirty  thousand  acres  of  land 
may  now  be  purchased. 

30th.  Roads  generally  bad— can  be  made  good 
with  a  reasonable  expence.  The  principal  water 
conveyance  is  lake  Erie. 

3 1 st.  It  is  the  opinion  of  this  meeting,  that  the 
improvement  of  their  township  is  much  retarded 
by  large  tracts  of  land  having  been  granted  to  persons 
not  residing  in  the  country,  and  which  still  remain 
unsettled,  and  that  if  such  tracts  of  land  were  placed 
in  a  situation  to  be  settled,  the  taxes  regularly  paid, 
and  the  roads  properly  worked,  it  would  contribute 
materially  to  the  improvement  of  the  townships 
and  province  in  general. 

(Signed) 
ABRAHAM  HOOVER,  Chairman. 


LONDON   DISTRICT. 


WOODHOUSE. 

December  9th,  1817. 

A  Meeting  having  been  recommended  by  the  Ma- 
gistrates of  this  Division,  to  consider  of  and  re- 
ply to  certain  Queries  contained  in  Mr.  Robert 
Gourlay's  Address,  published  in  the  Upper  Ca- 
nada Gazette  of  the  30th  October  last, 

WE,  the  inhabitant  freeholders  of  the  aforesaid 
township  of  Woodhouse,  have  this  day  assembled  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Wm.  Culver,  and  after  having  una- 
nimously chosen  the  said  William  Culver  chairman, 
and  John  Tinbroock  secretary,  to  this  meeting,  and 
taken  the  said  Queries  into  consideration,  have 
formed  and  adopted  the  following  Replies,  to  be 
signed  by  the  chairman,  and  transmitted  to  the 
magistrates,  to  be  forwarded  to  Mr.  Gourlay. 

8th.  There  are  two  carding  machines,  and  wool 
is  carded  at  7|d.  per  pound. 

9th.  The  surface  is  level  ;  the  soil  varies  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  township  :  part  is  clay  and  part 
a  mixture  of  clay  and  sand. 

10th.  It  abounds  with  almost  all  kinds  of  timber. 
That  part  which  is  plains  is  generally  white  oak. 

llth.  Discoveries  have  been  made  of  iron  ore; 
but  no  thorough  search  has  been  made,  to  ascertain 
the  quantity.  There  is  one  medicinal  or  sulphur 
spring. 

12th.  Plenty  of  lime-stone  can  be  had  at  25s.  by 
the  toise  at  the  quarry. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  323 

25th.  The  pastures  are  clover  and  Timothy. 
Seven  pounds  of  butter  can  be  made  in  a  week 
with  one  cow,  and  10  pounds  of  cheese. 

26th.  The  ordinary  course  of  cropping  is,  first, 
wheat,  then  Indian  corn,  or  any  other  grain  ;  and 
manure  is  used  for  Indian  corn  and  potatoes. 

27th.  Land  is  let  on  shares,  for  which  the  land- 
lord receives  one-third. 

29th.  Upwards  of  10,000  acres  of  land  may  be 
now  purchased. 

30th.  The  roads  are  generally  good,  but  can  be 
much  improved  at  a  moderate  expense.  The  prin^ 
cipal  water  conveyance  is  lake  Erie. 

31st.  It  is  the  opinion  of  this  meeting,  that  the 
improvement  of  this  township  is  much  retarded  by 
large  tracts  of  land  having  been  granted  to  persons 
not  residing  in  the  country,  and  which  still  remain 
unsettled  ;  and  that,  if  such  tracts  of  land  were 
placed  in  a  situation  to  be  settled,  the  taxes  regu- 
larly paid,  and  the  roads  properly  worked  or  im- 
proved, it  would  contribute  most  materially  to  the 
improvement  not  only  of  the  township,  but  of  the 
province  in  general. 

(Signed)  WM.  CULVER, 

Chairman  to  the  Meeting. 


CHARLOTTEVILLE. 

December  13th,  1817. 

Pursuant  to  Notice  from  the  Magistrates  of  the  Di~ 
vision^  a  Number  of  the  Farmers  and  Other 
Y  2 


324  LONDON    DISTRICT. 

sident  Land  Oioners  of  the  Township,  have  this 
day  met  at  the  Court-House,  to  consider  of  and 
reply  to  the  Queries,  put  by  Mr.  G  our  lay,  relative 
to  the  Agricultural  State  of  the  Province,  pub- 
lished in  the  Upper  Canada  Gazette  of  the  30th 
of  October  last.  The  Rev.  Daniel  Freeman  in 
the  Chair. 

THE  queries  being  regularly  put  by  the  chairman, 
the  following  answers  may  be  considered  as  the 
sense  of  the  meeting,  on  the  points  to  which  they 
refer. 

5th.  The  district  public  school,  and  four  com- 
mon schools  ;  the  medium  rate  of  tuition  about 
12s.  6d. 

9th.  Sand  and  loam  intermixed  with  clay,  the 
surface  level. 

10th.  Timber  in  the  order  most  abounding;  oak, 
pine,  chestnut,  maple,  walnut,  hickory,  ash,  beech, 
and  white  wood. 

llth.  Iron  ore  in  abundance  (observations  on 
the  ore,  &c.  will  be  made  by  the  enterprising  indi- 
vidual, who  is  now  erecting  a  forge  in  the  town- 
ship*) ;  some  limestone ;  no  plaster  of  Paris,  one 


*  This  individual  being  applied  to,  wrote  me  the  following 
letter. 

Potter's  Creek,  Dec.  4th,  1817. 
"  SIR, 

"  You  desired  me  to  give  you  every  information  in  my 
power,  of  the  probability,  or  certainty,  of  making  iron  in  this 
part  of  the  Province,  so  as  to  be  beneficial  to  the  manufacturer 
and  the  public.  I  will  state  to  you  what  is  for,  and  what  against. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  325 

remarkable   spring  near  Big  creek,  resembling  in 
taste  the  Harrowgate  waters. 

In  favour  of  Iron  Works,  is  the  high  price  of  iron,  and  plenty  of 
timber  for  coal:  every  thing  but  these  is  against  the  first  begin- 
ner. The  bog  ore  is  scattered  over  the  whole  country ;  but,  I  do 
not  know  any  one  bed  of  ore  that  will  exceed  120  tons.  I  spent 
three  months  in  examining  the  country  for  ore,  and  I  calculate 
that  it  will  take  all  the  ore  I  found,  within  20  miles  of  this  place, 
to  supply  a  small  furnace  for  seven  years ;  but  I  believe  conside- 
rable quantities,  within  that  space,  are  not  yet  found.  No  rock 
ore  has  yet  been  found  in  this  part  of  the  Province;  and  if  there  is 
-any,  it  must  be  at  a  considerable  depth  from  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  and  will  be  difficult  to  find,  as  the  strata  lie  horizontal. 
Another  thing  against  iron  works,  is  that  it  will  require  many  ex- 
periments before  we  can  know  the  best  method  of  working  the 
ore ;  and  there  is  not  any  stone  in  this  part  of  the  Province,  that 
will  stand  the  fire,  and,  I  Relieve,  it  will  be  best  if  it  comes  from 
three  different  places  in  the  United  States.  I  want  five  or  six 
pieces  of  cast  iron,  each  30  cwt. ;  these  will  come  to  an  enormous 
expence.  I  intended  to  ask  government  to  give  or  lend  me  five 
or  six  disabled  .cannon  for  this.  I  asked  government  to  pay  the 
passage  of  five  or  six  families,  from  England,  to  work  in  the  fur- 
nace. This  could  not  be  granted,  and  therefore  I  wquld  not  ask 
for  the  cannon.  Another  thing  against  me  is,  that  there  is  not  a 
man  in  the  country,  that  I  know  of,  capable  of  working  in  the 
furnace.  But  the  greatest  difficulty  I  have  to  overcome  is,  iron- 
men,  as  we  call  them,  are  the  very  worst  sort  of  men  to  manage, 
colliers  not  excepted.  Not  one  of  a  hundred  of  them  but  will 
take -every  advantage  of  his  master,  in  his  power.  If  I  have  just 
the  number  of  hands  for  the  work,  every  one  of  them  will  know 
that  I  cannot  do  without  every  one  of  them;  therefore,  every  one 
of  them  will  be  my  master:  anxiety  and  trouble  will  be  the  con- 
sequence: and  if  I  keep  more  hands  than  are  necessary,  so  as  to 
have  it  in  my  power  to  turn  those  away  who  will  not  do  right, 
this  will  be  expensive.  But,  after  all,  if  the  ore  is  as  good  as  I 
expect,  I  hope  to  reduce  the  price  of  iron  very  considerably. 


£26  LONDON    DISTRICT. 

12th.  Few  building  stone  ;   no  quarries. 

14th.  No  lime  has  been  burnt  for  sale. 

15th.  Journeymen  blacksmiths  are  hired  at  61. 
5s.  per  month  ;  masons  10s.  and  carpenters  7s.  6d. 
per  day:  the  ploughs  in  common  use  will  cost  from 
51.  to  61.  ;  a  good  axe  12s  6d. ;  shoeing  a  horse, 
(four  shoes)  10s. ;  for  working  iron  into  implements 
of  husbandry,  7|d.  per  pound. 

18th.  Five  acres  of  heavy  timbered  land,  may  be 
cleared  and  fenced  for  about  25l.  The  same  quan- 
tity of  light  timbered  or  plain  land,  may  be  cleared 
for  about  121.  and  occasionally  for  less. 

25th.  The  increase  of  weight,  &c.  cannot  be  de- 
termined with  precision. 

26th.  No  regular  rotation  of  cropping  has  hither- 
to been  observed.  Manure  is  seldom  used,  except 
for  Indian  corn  and  potatoes. 

The  place  where  I  am  is  a  reserved  lot.  Governor  Gore  has 
promised  encouragement  to  the  works,  when  government  is  satis- 
fied that  they  will  answer  a  good  purpose.  If  Governor  Gore 
does  not  return  to  this  country,  and  what  he  promised  should  be 
refused  me,  iron  works  will  be  at  an  end  with  me,  and  at  this 
place ;  but,  I  shall  not  ask  for  the  promise,  until  the  inhabitants 
of  the  country  will  be  my  bondsmen,  for  the  benefits  arising  from 
the  iron  works.  When  I  saw  you,  I  offered  a  considerable  sum 
of  money  to  take  them  off  my  hands :  this  I  repeat;  not  but  I  be- 
lieve they  will  answer,  but  the  trouble  will  be  more  than  equal  to 
any  profit  from  them.  Those  who  begin  iron  works  after  me,  in 
this  country,  will  start  many  thousand  dollars  a-head  of  me:  every 
thing  they  want,  except  stone,  will  be  had  here ;  the  best  method 
of  working  the  ore  will  be  known,  and  men  will  be  learned  to 
work  it. 

"  I  am,  Sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

"JoHN  MASON." 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  327 

27th.  Land  is  frequently  let  on  shares,  the  owner 
of  the  land  receiving  one-third  of  the  crop,  for 
the  use  of  the  land. 

28th.  About  the  first  settlement  of  the  township, 
land  sold  for  f*s.  per  acre  ;  but  will  now  average 
about  11.  A  farm  of  200  acres  of  land,  with  a 
log  house  and  barn,  with  50  acres  cleared  and 
fenced,  and  a  small  orchard  of  bearing  trees,  might 
be  purchased  for  about  7001.  and  occasionally  less. 

^9th.  The  quantity  for  sale,  several  thousand 
acres. 

30th.  Public  roads,  good  and  improvable  at 
small  expence. 

31st.  It  is  the  opinion  of  this  meeting,  that  large 
tracts  of  land,  owned  by  non-residents,  retard 
the  settlement  of  the  township,  and  that  wholesome 
settlers,  artificers,  labourers,  and  capital^  would 
contribute  most  effectually  to  improve  this  town- 
ship, and  the  province  generally. 

Signed,  in  name  of  the  meeting,  by 

DANIEL  FREEMAN,  Chairman. 


WALSINGHAM. 

To  MR.  ROBERT  GOURLAY. 

Dec.  5th,  1817. 

SIR, 

IN   compliance  with  your  request,  we, 
the  inhabitant  householders    of  the  township  of 
Walsingham,  have  convened  ourselves,  for  the  pur- 
2 


328  LONDON   DISTRICT. 

pose  of  answering  certain  queries,  which  appeared 
in  your  Address  of  October  last,  which  are  as 
follows : 

3d.  No  churches  ;  but  make  use  occasionally  of 
our  school  houses  for  that  purpose.  No  profes- 
sional preachers;  but  are  frequently  visited  by 
different  dissenting  ministers. 

9th.  The  three  or  four  front  Concessions,  of 
superior  quality,  equal  to  any  in  the  province. 
The  remainder  of  a  lighter  soil.  The  township 
tolerably  well  watered. 

10th.  Pine,  oak,  ash,  beech,  sugar  maple,  bass- 
wood,  black  walnut,  hickory,  butternut,  elm,  with 
different  other  sorts. 

llth.  No  minerals  of  any  description  have  as 
yet  been  discovered. 

12th.  None. 

18th.  Five  acres  of  wood  land  may  be  cleared 
and  fenced  from  151.  to  201. ;  all  expence  accruing, 
to  be  borne  by  the  party  performing  the  labour. 

25th.  Pasture  excellent;  butter  and  cheese  sells 
from  7|d.  to  Is.  3d. 

26th.  Cropping  on  new  land  not  practised; 
manure  necessary  for  Indian  corn  and  potatoes. 

27th.  Land  is  usually  let  on  shares  for  one  half, 
provided  the  proprietor  furnish  seed  and  team. 

29th.  Half  of  the  township  supposed  to  be  for 
sale. 

30th.  Public  roads  in  a  very  bad  state,  and 
capable  of  great  improvement,  at  a  moderate 
expence:  only  one  stream  capable  of  boat  naviga-. 
tion. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS. 


329 


31st.  What,  in  our  opinion,  retards  the  improve- 
ment of  our  township,  is  that  large  bodies  of  land 
are  owned  by  different  gentlemen  who  do  not 
occupy  it.  As  to  the  province  in  general,  we  are 
of  opinion  that  it  is  owing  to  our  remoteness  from 
a  foreign  market,  and  the  great  ex  pence  of  trans- 
portation, occasioned  in  a  great  measure  from  the 
difficulty  of  the  water  communication  with  the 
Lower  Province. 

(Signed) 

H.  WEBSTER,  Collector,    HENRY  SMITH, 
MICHAEL   TROVER,        PAUL  DRESTIN,  SEN. 

JOHN  KILLMASTER, 
ANTHONY  PIKE, 
JEREMIAH  WOLFEN, 
FRED.  BAUMWART, 
TOBIAS  LAMAN, 
JACOB  COPE, 
HENRY  BECKER. 


JAMES  Me.  CALL, 
JOHN  BECKER, 
JOHN  DUTCH, 
SAMUEL,  BROWN, 
ABRAHAM  SMITH, 
CORNWALL,  ELLIS, 
PAUL  DRESTIN,  JUN. 


MIDDLETOK 


SIR, 

Dec.  8th,  1817. 

HAVING  seen  your  Address  in  the  Upper 
Canada  Gazette  of  the  30th  October,  1817 — We, 
the  undersigned,  unanimously  agree  with  you  in  sen- 
timent, that  the  local  situation  of  this  province  has 
never  been  fully  made  known  either  to  government 


330  JLONDON    DISTRICT. 

or  the  British  farmer;  we  likewise  are  of  opinion, 
that  your  Queries  annexed  to  your  Address,  being 
answered  in  a  simple,  but  correct  manner,  will, 
when  published  in  England,  give  a  fair  opportunity 
to  every  individual  to  judge  for  himself.  We,  the 
inhabitant  landholders  for  the  township  of  Middle- 
ton,  having,  at  a  general  meeting  held  at  the  house  of 
John  Coltman,  Esq.  unanimously  called  John 
Coltman,  Esq.  to  the  chair,  and  cordially  agreed 
to  the  following  answers  : 

9th.  The  soil  is  of  a  rich  loam,  and  the  surface 
generally  level. 

10th.  The  timber,  ash,  maple,  basswood,  beech, 
black  walnut,  butternut,  hickory,  cherry,  white 
pine,  oak  of  different  kinds,  chestnut.  The  above 
timber  generally  stands  in  equal  proportions. 

llth.  Iron  ore  in  abundance. 

12th.  None. 

14th.  No  lime  burnt  for  sale. 

15th.  Blacksmith,  being  found  with  shop  tools, 
and  coal,  wages  at  10s.  per  day. 

26th.  First  sown  with  wheat,  and  laid  down  to 
grass  for  three  years,  then  summer  fallowed,  and 
sown  with  wheat,  without  manure. 

27th.  If  the  landlord  furnish  team  and  seed, 
the  tenant  receives  half  the  crop.  If  the  tenant 
furnish  team  and  seed,  the  landlord  receives  one 
third. 

28th.  No  wild  lands  for  sale,  as  the  whole  of  the 
township  of  Middleton  and  Howton  is  reserved  by 
government,  except  Talbot  street. 

29th.  A  log-house  built,  and  ten  acres  cleared 
on  a  200  acre  lot,  is  now  selling  at  2501. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS. 


331 


30th.  Talbot  street  leads  through  the  township, 
running  nearly  east  and  west,  about  12  miles  from 
lake  Erie. 

31st.  We  think  that  the  townships  of  Honghton 
and  Middleton,  being  reserved,  hinders  the  im- 
provement of  this  part  of  the  country,  as  there  is 
but  one  road  through  the  said  towns,  and  one  by- 
path. 

(Signed) 
JOHN  COLTMAN,  Chairman. 


JAMES  BROWN, 

Town  Clerk. 

1  o  I  &TXJ 
GEORGE  COLTMAN, 

JAMES  COLTMAN, 
JOSEPH  WOOD, 
JOHN  YOUNG, 
ELIJAH  HARRIS, 
HEZEKIAH     CART- 

WRIGHT, 
MICHAEL  CULP, 
DAVID  ADAIR, 


om  n 
JAMES  MOREHOUSE, 

JOSHUA  BROWN, 
SAMUEL  BROWN, 
BRENTEN  BROWN, 
ESEKIAH  OVERBAUG, 
JOSEPH  ADAIR, 
PETER  NEWKIRK, 
MOSES  BROWN, 
AB.  BROWN. 


NORWICH. 


At  a  Town  Meeting  ^  held  in  the  Township  of  Nor- 
wich  the  6th  of  the  1st  Month,  1818,  according  to 
Law  ,  for  choosing  Town  Officers.  The  Proposals 
by  R.  Gourlay  for  publishing  a  Statistical  Ac- 
count of  the  Province  of  Upper  Canada,  in  or- 


332  LONDON    DISTRICT. 

der  to  exhibit  correct  Ideas  respecting  the  En- 
couragement this  fine  Country  holds  out  to  such 
Europeans  as  have  a  mind  to  emigrate  in  quest 
of  a  Country  rich  in  natural  Resources,  but 
poor  in  point  of  Population,  in  order  to  occupy 
and  improve  the  natural  advantages  thereof, 
to  their  individual  interest  and  happiness  of 
their  Families. 

His  proposals  being  read,  the  meeting  made 
choice  of  Peter  Lossing,  to  draft  a  schedule  of  the 
beginning  and  progress  of  several  of  the  first  ad- 
venturers into  the  wilderness*,  about  12  miles  from 
any  settlements,  and  also  appointed  John  Throck- 
morton,  William  Curtis,  Elias  Moore,  and  Peter 
M'Lees,  to  assist  the  afore-mentioned  Peter  Lossing 
in  preparing  correct  answers  to  the  several  Queries 
suggested  by  the  said  R.  Gourlay,  affording  ma- 
terials for  giving  an  accurate  description  of  Norwich 
in  an  agricultural  point  of  view,  and  to  affix  their 
signatures  to  the  statement  forwarded  to  the  said 
R.  Gourlay. 

2d.  A  few  families  arrived  in  1808,  but  very 
little  progress  till  1811. 

3d.  Two  houses  appropriated  for  public  worship 
of  the  Society  of  Friends,  three  approved  ministers 
of  that  society. 

4th.  One  regular  bred  practitioner  of  physic  and 
surgery. 

5th.  Three  schools ;  common  fees  per  quarter 
151.  f  board  and  lodging  found. 

*  See  Supplement  to  this  Report. 

+  This  must  mean  the  schoolmaster's  salary. — R.  G. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  333 

6th.  No  lack  of  houses  of  entertainment. 

7th.  No  licensed  taverns,  dramshops,  nor  dis- 
tilleries. 

8th.  One  store,  one  grist  mill,  two  others  build- 
ing, three  saw  mills  ;  price  of  boards  at  the  saw 
mill,  pine  11.  11s.  3d.  per  thousand  square  feet; 
no  carding  machine,  but  one  wanted. 

9th.  Soil  generally  a  sandy  loam,  interspersed 
with  small  intervals  of  clay ;  in  its  wild  state  cover- 
ed with  a  rich  body  of  black  vegetable  mould. 

10th.  Timber — pine,  beech,  maple,  bass,  elm, 
oak,  ash,  chestnut,  butternut,  hickory,  poplar,  iron 
wood,  plum,  thorn,  hazle,  grape,  crab  apple,  &c. 
A  large  proportion  of  rock  maple,  from  which  the 
inhabitants  supply  themselves  with  sugar,  molasses, 
and  vinegar,  and  the  pine  generally  much  in  a  body 
by  itself. 

llth.  Some  indications  of  iron  ore  of  the  bog 
kind;  salt  licks,  as  they  are  here  called;  plaster  of 
Paris  or  gypsum,  chalybeate  and  sulphurous 
springs,  the  springs  generally  clear,  wholesome 
water,  somewhat  impregnated  with  lime. 

12th.  Building  stones  scarce ;  some  indications 
of  plenty  of  limestone  in  the  bottoms  of  small 
brooks,  but  not  much  opened. 

13th.  Bricks  of  a  good  quality  have  been  made 
and  sold  at  11.  5s.  per  thousand  ;  indications  of  clay 
suitable  for  pottery  and  stone  ware,  and  paints. 

14th.  Lime  has  been  burnt  on  log  heaps;  sells 
for  about  8d.  per  bushel. 

15th.  Carpenter's  wages  by  the  day,  about  6s.  3d. ; 
mason's  7s.  (5d. ;  blacksmith's  work  about  Is.  3d. 
per  Ib.  iron  included. 


834  1X)NDON    DISTRICT. 

25th.  Timothy  and  clover  is  most  common,  and 
grows  luxuriantly:  an  ox  four  years  old  gains 
about  one-third  in  a  summer's  run  ;  they  become 
excellent  beef  in  a  summer's  run  in  the  woods; 
a  good  cow  gives,  per  day,  four  gallons  of  milk, 
producing  good  butter  and  cheese  :  price  of  butter 
9d.  and  cheese  7fd.  per  pound. 

26th.  First  crop  has  generally  been  wheat,  though 
excellent  Indian  corn  :  oats  and  potatoes  have  been 
raised  on  new  land  by  harrowing  only  :  a  crop  of 
wheat  has  been  succeeded  by  corn,  oats  and  pota- 
toes, and  vice  versa,  and  done  well. 

27th.   Very  little  done  on  cropping,  on  shares. 

28th.  About  6s.  3d.  was  at  our  commencement 
the  price  of  land,  and  has  progressively  risen  to  13s. 
per  acre  :  one  sale  lately  made  of  an  improvement 
100  acres,  35  cleared,  frame  barn,  log  house,  good 
fence,  price  3751. 

29th.  About  25,000  acres  of  wild  land  yet  for 
sale. 

30th.  Roads  still  bad,  but  capable  of  much  im- 
provement, at  a  moderate  expence :  water  convey- 
ance contemplated  as  attain  -hie,  by  cutting  and 
clearing  drift  wood  out  of  the  bed  waters  of  the 
Otter  creek,  from  near  the  centre  of  Norwich,  into 
lake  Erie,  which  is  about  80  miles ;  it  is  clothed  with 
pine  timber,  and  many  good  mill  seats. 

31st.  Land  held  in  fee  by  distnnt  owners  in  large 
quantities,  not  responsible  tor  defraying  any  charges 
for  opening  roads,  while  the  wh<»l<-'  burden  falls  on 
actual  settlers,  is  a  hiiiderance  to  the  growth  of  the 
settlement. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  335 

An  increase  of  population,  with  an  adequate  ca- 
pital, the  improvement  of  morals,  the  reduction  of 
distilleries  and  dram  shops,  to  the  encouragement 
of  good  inns,  the  improvement  of  roads  and  build- 
ing of  bridges,  removing  of  obstructions  in  boatable 
waters,  are  prominent  objects  to  promote  the  pros- 
perity  of  this  country. 

(Signed) 

PETER  LOSSING.  ELI  AS  MOORE. 

JOHN  THROCKMORTON.  PETER  M*LEES. 
WILLIAM  CURTIS. 


SUPPLEMENT. 

The  following  Schedule  may  serve  as  a  sample  of 
the  general  body  of  settlers,  according  to  the  time 
they  have  become  residents  of  this  township. 
Several  thousand  bushels  of  wheat  to  spare  this 
season,  beyond  a  supply  of  bread  for  the  inhabitants. 
There  has  been  no  disease  of  an  epidemic  nature 
since  the  settlement  commenced:  three  deaths  of 
adults  and  three  children  only.  Diseases  of  an 
inflammatory,  pulmonic  and  rheumatic  nature  are 
the  most  frequent,  and  the  instances  rare  even  of 
these.  The  inhabitants  consist  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  some  Methodists,  a  few  Baptists,  and 
some,  as  to  profession,  Nothingarians,  but,  generally 
speaking,  encouragers  of  good  moral,  sober,  and 
industrious  habits. 
'•'Ji'^ 


336 


STATISTICAL 


Shewing  the  Progress  of  Improvement 


1 

a 
| 

8* 

1 

y 

i. 

i 

• 

0 

l 

'. 

j 

I 

Names  of  Residents. 

PB 

II 

.2 
.2 

j 

? 

of  Crop 
rsl  Season 

econd  Sea 

I 

t 

'<& 

i 

i 

•S 
'» 

• 

<£ 

1 
0 

•s* 

I 

£> 

i 
I 

1 

F 

• 

i 

£ 

a 

4 

a 

"3 

i 

* 

Peter  Lossing. 

Dutchess 
County, 

Spring  of 
1811 

Wife  and 
5  childr. 

300 

14 

20 

23 

25 

28 

30 

3 

State  of 

N.  York 

Michael  Stover. 

Ditto 

lateinthe 

Do.  and  9 

season. 

children 

1000 

4 

11 

13 

16 

13 

15 

1 

Fred.  Stover. 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Do  and  6 

children 

1000 

4 

10 

10 

10 

18 

18 

3 

Adam  Stover. 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Do.  and  5 

Sears  Mold. 

Ditto 

1811 

children  j  1000 
Do.  ar>d  6  reserve 

0 

5 

9 

18 

18 

14 

0 

children 

100 

8 

12 

14 

16 

18 

20 

0 

Sam.  Cornwell. 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Do.  and  9 

children 

200 

0 

16 

20 

22 

23 

25 

1 

Elias  Moore. 

Nova 

Ditto 

Do.  and  5 

Scotia 

children 

400 

0   24 

24 

28 

30 

44 

2 

John  Syple. 

Albany 
Street, 

Ditto 

Do.  and  5 

children 

200 

0 

18 

18 

20 

22 

30 

0 

N.  York 

Sol.  Sackrider. 

Dutchess 

Ditto 

Do.  ind5 

County, 

children 

200 

0  20 

25 

26 

26 

27 

2 

Stare  of 

| 

N.  York 

Peter  De  Long. 

D.tto 

Ditto 

Do.  and  5 

children 

4CO 

7 

25 

24 

28 

28 

>0 

3 

Peter  M'Lees. 

Ditto 

Ditto 

Do.  and  7 

children 

400 

0 

4 

5 

5 

6 

8 

1 

11  Farmers 

89  Persons. 

II  wives,  67 
children. 

5,20i) 

37 

165  185214 

2-- 

261 

16 

It  is  proper  for  me  to  remark  that  the  above  settlers,  being 
of  the  people  called  Quakers,  had  the  advantage  of  remaining 
at  peace  on  their  farms  during  the  invasion  of  the  province. 
Quakers,  Menonists,  and  Tunkers,  have  all  this  blessed  pri- 
vilege, and  are  allowed  to  pay  money  in  lieu  of  military  ser- 
vice. They  had  the  further  advantage  of  the  high  price  of 
produce  occasioned  by  the  war;  which  many  others  could 
reap  no  advantage  from,  while  their  farms  lay  neglected. 


TABLE, 


337 


in  Norwich  Township,  London  District. 


• 

1 

*® 

ti 

£ 

£ 

£ 

The  first  work  of  all,  on 

_c 

si 

€ 

r 

si 

g" 

1 

o 

1 

\ 

11 
:n 

of  Wheat 
Crop. 

of  Corn,  < 
il  Pease. 

•s 

I 

settling,    is  the  erec- 
tion  of  a  temporary 
log  house. 

No.  of  Oj 

No.  of  C< 

•s* 

o 
z 

O 

TB 

<; 
*, 

No.  of  C 

•3 

0 
•A 

•s 

e 

"A 

SSTf 

m 

1 

f 

w 

JS 

$ 

New  Buildings. 

1 

•f 

0 

3 

2 

2 

8 

18 

25 

80 

300 

300  1000 

200 

Frame  Barn  and  Timber 

House. 

2 
2 

2 
4 

2 
3 

2 

2 

7 

7 

24 

11 

39 
18 

60 
70 

400 
250 

350 

300 

100 
200 

120 
350 

Frame  Barn. 
Frame  Barn  and  House. 

2 

2 

3 

0 

6 

15 

26 

80 

100 

120 

60 

24 

Log  House  and  Barn. 

0 

2 

2 

2 

4 

6 

16 

50 

200 

80 

100 

0 

Frame  Barn. 

2 

2 

2 

4 

4 

6 

25 

55 

200 

220 

300 

'62 

Log  House  and  Barn. 

2 

1 

4 

6 

9 

14 

20 

100 

500 

150 

200 

300 

Two  Frame  Barns. 

2 

2 

3 

0 

6 

14 

13 

40 

2CO 

200 

200 

0 

Frame  Barn. 

4 

4 

2 

4 

7 

7 

20 

60 

200 

200 

200 

50 

Log  House  and*  Barn. 

2 

4 

2 

3 

7 

8 

24 

100 

150 

300 

150 

100 

Frame  Barn. 

9 

2 

1 

2 

8 

11 

19 

40 

250 

100 

320 

36 

Frame  B?rn. 

20 

2N 

26 

27 

73 

1341245    735 

2750 

23202830  124<2|  12  barns  and  5  bouses. 

This  Table,  in  conjunction  with  the  others  of  the  same 
kind,  which  I  have  introduced,  must  exhibit  to  the  British 
farmer  a  wonderful  contrast  to  his  own  gains  for  the  last  five 
years ;  and  give  him  a  full  idea  of  what  capital  and  industry 
combined  may  effect  in  Upper  Canada.  There  is  not  one 
settler  in  Canada  out  of  twenty  who  has  not  to  struggle  with 
poverty  for  the  first  three  or  four  years.  This  overcome,  all  is 
well — nay,  very  well  with  the  industrious  man. — R.  G. 


338  LONDON   DISTRICT. 

BAYHAM. 

SIR, 

HAVING  seen  your  Address  in  the  Upper 
Canada  Gazette,  of  the  30th  of  October  last,  we, 
the  undersigned  landholders  of  the  township  of 
Bayham,  agree  with  you  in  sentiment,  that  the 
situation  of  this  province  has  not  been  fully  made 
known  to  the  British  farmer.  We  are  likewise  of 
opinion,  that  the  Queries  annexed  to  your  Address, 
being  answered  in  a  correct  manner,  when  pub-* 
lished  in  England,  will  give  a  fair  opportunity  to 
every  individual  to  judge  for  himself.  We  have 
held  a  general  meeting  at  the  house  of  John  Lodor, 
in  Bayham,  having  called  Joseph  Bowes  to  the 
chair,  unanimously  agreed  to  the  following  answers : 

3d.  No  churches  nor  settled  ministers,  but  fre- 
quently visited  by  the  Methodist  and  Baptist. 

9th.  The  soil  is  of  a  rich  loam,  and  the  surface 
generally  level. 

10th.  The  timber,  maple,  ash,  basswood,  butter- 
nut, black  walnut,  hickory,  cherry,  white  pine  of  a 
superior  quality,  and  oak  of  different  kinds,  chest- 
nut; the  above  timber  generally  stands  in  equal 
proportions. 

llth.  Limestone  and  iron  ore  in  abundance. 

12th.  None. 

14th.  No  lime  burnt  for  sale. 

loth.  Blacksmiths,  being  found  with  shop  tools 
and  coal,  wages  10s.  per  day. 
3 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  339 

19th.  Price  of  sheep,  ewes,  15s. ;  and  wethers, 
ll.  weighing,  when  fatted,  from  20  to  251b.  per 
quarter. 

25th.  Artificial  grasses  are  little  known  here; 
small  quantities  of  red  clover  have  been  sown,  cut 
twice  a  season  ;  two  tons  the  first,  and  one  ton  the 
second  cutting  ;  the  pasture,  the  small  white  clover, 
with  Timothy  an  rl  spear  grass,  which  comes  naturally 
after  the  first  crop.  An  ox,  turned  in  poor  con- 
dition, the  first  of  May,  to  grass,  will,  with  a  sum- 
mer's run,  by  the  first  of  December,  be  good  beef, 
and  have  IGOlb.  of  rough  tallow.  Cows  in  this 
country  do  not  afford  as  much  milk  as  in  some 
parts  of  England,  but  more  butter  and  cheese  in 
proportion ;  one  cow  will  make  lOlb.  of  butter 
per  week  ;  and  a  dairy  of  20  cows  will  make  401b. 
of  cheese  per  day,  from  the  first  of  May,  to  the  last 
of  September. 

26th.  First  sown  with  wheat,  and  laid  down  to 
grass  for  three  years ;  then  ploughed  and  sown 
again,  without  manure. 

27th.  If  the  landlord  furnish  team  and  seed,  he 
receives  one-half  the  crop.  If  the  tenant  furnishes 
the  above,  the  landlord  receives  one-third. 

29th.  A  log  house  built,  and  10  acres  cleared  on 
a  two  hundred  acre  lot,  is  now  selling  for  2501. 
Some  small  quantities  of  land  for  sale,  at  12s.  (xi. 
per  acre,  and  large  quantities  not  located. 

30th.  Talbot  street  leads  through  the  township, 
about  7  miles  from  the  lake.  Ottawa  river,  leading 
through  the  centre  of  the  township,  and  is  navi- 
gable for  boats  of  20  tons,  for  forty  miles  from  the 
mouth.  z  2 


340  LONDON    DISTRICT. 

31st.  We  think  that  the  very  great  number  of 
reserve  lots,  retard  the  settlement  or  improvement 
of  the  township  more  than  any  thing  else. 

(Signed)  JOSEPH  BOWES,  Chairman. 

WILLIAM  HAZEN,  Town  Clerk. 
JOHN  HAZEN.  JAMES  RUSSELL. 

SAMUEL  EDISON.  WILLIAM  RAYMOND. 

SAMUEL  SHWARTS.       THOMAS  EDISON. 
WILLIAM  HATT.  JOSEPH  MERILL. 

EZEKIEL  FORSYTH.  JOHN  EDISON. 

JOHN  LODOR.  M.  EDISON. 

JOHN  SAXTON,  Sen.  JAMES  WILSON. 

WILLIAM  SAXTON.  DENNIS  DAWLIR. 

JOHN  SAXTON,  Jun.  ALEXANDER  SAXTON. 

MOSES  EDISON.  PETER  WEAVER. 


MALAHIDE. 


At  a  Meeting  of  all  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Town- 
ship of  Malahide,  assembled  at  the  House  of 
Mr.  William  Summers^  on  Talbot  Road,  on  the 
10th  of  December,  1817,  for  the  Purpose  of  ex- 
amining the  Queries  proposed  by  Robert  Gourlay, 
Esq.  to  the  Resident  Land  Owners  of  Upper 
Canada^  in  his  Address  of  October  last.  Wil- 
liam Summers  was  chosenChairman^  and  Simeon 
Davies,  Secretary ,  upon  which  Occasion  the  fol- 
lowing were  adopted  as  Answers  to  the  said 
Queries. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  341 

9th.  Soil  excellent,  and  very  well  watered.  The 
surface  nearly  level. 

10th.  Maple,  beech,  elm,  white  and  red  oak, 
white  and  black  ash,  basswood  and  ironwood. 

llth.  No  minerals  discovered;  some  quarries  of 
limestone. 

12th.  Few  building  stones  have  been  found. 

13th.  No  bricks  have  been  made  in  this  town- 
ship. 

14th.  No  lime  has  been  burnt;  but  there  are 
some  quarries  of  limestone. 

15th.  Blacksmiths  generally  charge  as  much  for 
their  work  as  the  iron  costs ;  carpenters  and  ma- 
sons have  done  but  little  good  work  as  yet.  The 
inhabitants  as  yet  live  mostly  in  round  log  houses. 

26th.  First  crop  wheat ;  second  ditto,  rye  and 
grass  seed :  when  the  sod  is  broken  up,  we  summer 
fallow  and  sow  with  wheat  again. 

27th.  Land  has  not  been  let  on  shares  to  any 
extent,  almost  every  inhabitant  being  owner  of  the 
tract  he  occupies. 

29th.  Little  for  sale  ;  quantity  not  ascertained. 

30th.  The  roads  are  not  very  good ;  but  the 
annual  labour  required  from  the  settlers  by  law, 
improves  them  fast.  No  canals  are  necessary, 
lake  Erie  being  contiguously  situated. 

31st.  The  lots  reserved  for  the  crown  and  clergy, 
constitute  two-sevenths  of  the  township,  and  pre* 
vent  the  settlement  from  becoming  compact. — 
Their  being  disposed  of  by  sale  to  actual  settlers, 
and  applied  to  provincial  purposes,  might  be  the 
means  of  increasing  the  wealth  and  respectability 
1 


342  CONDON    DISTRICT. 

of  the  province;  and  would  doubtless,  in  its 
operation,  contribute  largely  to  the  wealth  and  im- 
provement of  every  individual  township. 

By  order  of  the  Meeting, 
(Signed)  WILLIAM   SUMMERS,   Chairman. 
SIMEON  DA  VIES,  Secretary. 


YARMOUTH. 

At  a  Meeting  of  the  Settlers  of  the  Township  of 
Yarmouth,  assembled  at  the  Inn  of  Justice  Wilcox, 
on  Talbot  Road,  on  the  10th  Day  of  December, 
1817,  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  Address 
of  Robert  Gourlry,  Esq.  of  October  last,  to  the 
Land  Owners  of  Upper  Canada,  Captain  Daniel 
Hapelje  was  chosen  Chairman,  and  Adjutant 
James  Nevills  Secretary,  when  the  following 
Answers  to  his  Queries  were  adopted. 

8th.  Rate  for  sawing:  3s.  6d.  per  100  feet. 

9th.  Soil  black  sandy  loam  ;  surface  level ;  r§- 
markably  well  watered  with  living  springs,  rivule'ts, 
&c. 

10th.  Timber,  generally  beech  and  maple,  inter- 
spersed with  black  walnut,  white  walnut,  oak,  ash, 
cherry,  and  many  other  kinds  of  timber  peculiar  to 
the  climate. 

llth.  Limestone  in  many  places.  Many  mine- 
ral springs;  their  qualities  not  ascertained. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  843 

12th.  No  quarries  discovered. 
14th.  No  lime  burned. 

15th.  Blacksmith's  wages  at  the  same  rate  per 
pound  as  the  cost  of  the  iron  :  making  an  axe, 
smith  find  the  materials,  12s.  (3d.;  and  other  piece 
work  in  proportion.  Carpenter's  wages  !0s.  per 
day  :  mason's  10s.  per  day,  or  11.  5s.  per  thousand 
for  laying  brick. 

25th.  Common  pasture,  Timothy,  red  and  white 
clover.  A  four  year  old  steer  taken  from  the  yard 
in  the  spring,  is  allowed  to  gain  one-fifth  in  the 
summer's  run,  either  in  the  meadow  or  forest;  the 
forest  pasture  excellent  for  causing  cows  to  produce 
large  quantities  of  milk. 

26th.  Ordinary  course  of  cropping  upon  new 
land — the  first  crop  wheat;  second  crop  rye:  ma- 
nure not  required. 

27th.  Lands  let  upon  shares  draw  one-third. 

29th.  Lands  for  sale  supposed  30,000  acres. 

30th.  Public  roads  very  good,  considering  the  in- 
fancy of  the  settlement ;  capable  of  much  improve- 
ment, with  a  moderate  expence. 

3 1st.  The  lands  granted  to  persons  not  resident  at 
present  in  the  province,  or  living  at  the  seat  of  go- 
vernment, or  in  other  towns  of  the  province,  and 
the  crown  and  clergy  reserves  intervening  so  often 
amongst  our  farms,  have  a  tendency  to  retard  the  im- 
provement of  our  settlement  very  materially.  What, 
in  our  opinion  also,  that  further  retards  the  growth 
of  our  settlement,  is  an  improper  system  of  emigra- 
tion ;  and  we  are  confident  that  the  introduction  of 


344  JLONDON    DISTRICT. 

men  of  capital  would  much  tend  to  the  improve- 
ment of  the  same. 

By  order  of  the  Meeting, 
(Signed)         DANIEL  RAPELJE,  Chairman. 
JAMES  NEVILLS,  Secretary. 


SOUTHWOLD. 


At  a  Meeting  of  all  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Township 
ofSouthwold,  assembled  at  the  House  of  Mr.  Alex- 
ander  Ross,  of  Talbot  Road,  in  the  said  Township, 
on  the  10th  Day  of  December ,  in  the  Year  of  our 
Lord,  1817,ybr  the  Purpose  of  considering  of  the 
Address  of  Robert  Gourlay,  Esq.  of  October  last, 
to  the  resident  Land  Owners  of  Upper  Canada, 
Mahlon  Burwell,  of  Southwold  aforesaid,  Esq. 
was  chosen  Chairman,  and  Mr.  Alexander  Ross, 
of  the  same  Place  aforesaid,  Farmer,  was  chosen 
Secretary,  and  the  following  were  adopted  as 
Answers  to  his  Queries. 

9th,  The  soil  is  excellent.  Marly  in  places, 
and  diversified  with  sandy  loam  and  clay  alter- 
nately. The  surface  in  general  level ;  and  there  are 
some  ancient  fortifications  still  to  be  seen. 

10th.  Maple,  elm,  beech,  walnut,  butternut,  red 
and  white  oak,  hickory,  black  and  white  ash, 
cherry,  basswood,  and  iron  wood. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  345 

llth.  No  minerals  have  been  discovered.. 

12th.  No  building  stones;  but  several  quarries 
of  limestone  have  been  discovered. 

13th.  Very  few  bricks  have  been  made. 

34th.  No  lirne  has  been  burned;  but  several 
quarries  of  limestone  have  been  discovered. 

loth.  There  are  but  two  blacksmiths,  who 
charge  high.  But  little  carpenters'  and  masons' 

|jp 

work  has  been  done ;  the  inhabitants  as  yet  living 
principally  in  round  log-houses,  which  they  con- 
struct themselves. 

25th.  We  as  yet  have  only  made  use  of  pasture 
in  the  woods,  in  a  state  of  nature,  which  is  very 
good.  Milk  very  good,  as  also  the  quality  of  dairy 
produce. 

26th.  The  first  crop  is  wheat  harrowed  in,  the 
second  rye,  mixed  with  hay  seed  ;  when  the  grass 
is  broken  up,  the  ground  is  summer  fallowed,  and 
sown  with  wheat  again.  No  manure  has  been 
strewed  on  the  ground  yet. 

27th.  No  land  has  been  let  amongst  us,  every 
man  being  himself  a  landlord. 

28th.  We  have  good  timber  for  building ;  but 
for  want  of  saw  mills  it  is  difficult  to  get  lumber; 
nearly  one  tenth  part  of  the  settled  land  in  the 
township  is  cleared. 

29th.  We  know  of  but  little  offered  for  sale, 
almost  every  man  being  content  with  his  situation. 

30th.  Roads  are  tolerable,  and  the  statute  labour 
improves  them  fast.  Our  settlement  is  near  the 
borders  of  lake  Erie,  which  is  a  good  water  commu- 
nication toward  Montreal. 


346  LONDON    DISTRICT. 

31st.  Nothing  retards  our  settlement  more  than 
the  lands  of  absentees,  and  the  crown  and  clergy  re- 
serves being  interspersed  amongst  our  farms ;  and 
nothing  could  contribute  more  to  the  improvement 
of  our  settlement  than  their  being  sold  to  active 
and  industrious  persons.  We  are  confident  that 
the  province  in  general  would  be  much  benefited 
by  the  sale  of  the  lands  of  absentees,  and  the  crown 
and  clergy  reserves  to  actual  settlers. 
By  order  of  the  meeting, 
(Signed) 

M.  BURWELL,  Chairman. 
ALEXANDER  Ross, 

Secretary. 


DUNWICH. 


At  a  Meeting  of  all  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Township 
of  Dunwich,  assembled  at  the  House  of  Mr. 
Singleton  Gardiner,  on  Talbot  Road,  in  the  said 
Township,  the  llth  day  of  December,  1817,  to 

4,  deliberate  upon  the  Propriety  of  answering  sun- 
dry Queries,  proposed  in  an  Address  of  October 
last,  to  the  Resident  Land-owners  of  Upper  Ca- 
nada, by  Robert  Gourlay,  Esq.  Captain  Gil* 
man  Wilson  of  said  Township,  was  chosen  Chair- 
man, and  Mr.  Singleton  Gardiner,  of  the  same 
Place,  was  chosen  Secretary, 

UPON  which  occasion,  the  following  Answers 
to  his  Queries,  were  unanimously  adopted. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  347 

5>d.  The  first  settlement  was  made  by  the  Hon. 
Thomas  Talbot,  of  Port  Talbot,  Esq.  in  the  year 
1803,  at  which  time  there  was  not  a  white  in- 
habitant within  sixty  miles  on  the  east,  and 
seventy-five  miles  on  the  west.  Colonel  Talbot 
encountered  many  difficulties,  with  a  zeal  which 
will  for  ever  do  honour  to  his  memory  ;  by  his 
unremitting  solicitations  and  exertions,  he  at 
length  prevailed  on  the  provincial  executive  go- 
vernment, to  lay  the  country  between  Port  Talbot 
and  Long  Point,  open  for  actual  settlement,  which 
they  only  did  partially,  in  the  year  1809  arid  10. 
There  are  supposed  to  be  about  500  souls  in  the 
township,  and  about  1OO  inhabited  houses. 

8th,  One  mill  only.  Colonel  Talbot's  mills, 
which  were  excellent,  were  burnt  by  the  enemy 
in  time  of  the  late  war,  and  are  not  rebuilt. 

9th.  Soil  in  general  excellent  and  marly,  and 
the  surface  level  and  well  watered. 

10th.  Maple,  beech,  black  walnut,  butternut, 
cherry,  white  and  black  ash,  white  and  red  oak, 
white  pine,  elm,  basswood,  and  iron  wood. 

llth.  No  minerals  have  been  discovered;  there 
are  some  quarries  of  limestone, 

12th.  But  few  building  stones  have  been  dis-^ 
covered. 

13th.  But  few  bricks  have  been  made  ;  the  earth 
however  is  good  for  that  purpose. 

14th.  Vrery  little  lime  has  been  burnt. 

15th.  No  blacksmith. 

16th.  Few  women  servants  and  but  little  spin- 
ning as  yet;  good  ground  for  flax. 


348  LONDON    DISTRICT. 

23d.  First  crop  wheat,  harrowed  in ;  2d  do.  rye  and 
Timothy,  with  clover;  when  the  sod  is  broken  up, 
we  summer  fallow  and  sow  with  wheat  again  ; 
no  manure  has  as  yet  been  applied. 

25th.  Our  only  pasture  is  in  a  state  of  nature, 
and  is  good.  An  ox  will  gain  200  pounds  by  a 
summer's  run;  milk  and  dairy  produce  good ;  but- 
ter, Is.:  no  cheese. 

27th.  No  land  is  let;  the  most  humble  indi- 
viduals here  are  proprietors  of  the  soil. 

29th.  But  little  for  sale  ;  the  quantity  not  ascer- 
tained. 

30th.  Roads  are  indifferent;  but  the  statute 
labour  is  fast  improving  them.  Our  township  is 
bounded  on  the  north  shore  of  lake  Erie,  which 
affords  a  good  water  communication  towards 
Montreal. 

31st.  The  crown  and  clergy  reserves  intervening 
so  frequently  amongst  our  farms,  impedes  the  im- 
provement of  our  township  ;  and  we  are  of  opinion, 
that  the  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  province  in 
general  is  impeded  by  them.  These  being  re- 
moved, or  disposed  of  to  active  arid  industrious 
settlers,  would,  in  our  opinion,  be  a  blessing  to  the 
province. 

By  order  of  the  Meeting, 

(Signed) 

GILMAN  WILSON,  Chairman. 
SINGLETON  GARDINER,  Secretary. 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  349 


ALDBOROUGH. 

• 


At  a  Meeting  of  sundry  Inhabitants  of  the  Town- 
ship of  Aldborough,  assembled  at  the  House  of 
Mr.  Archibald  Gillies,  of  Talbot  Road,  in  said 
Township,  on  the  llth  Day  of  December,  1817, 
for  the  Purpose  of  agreeing  upon  Answers  to  cer- 
tain Queries,  proposed  to  the  Resident  Land 
Owners  of  Upper  Canada,  in  an  Address  of 
Robert  Gourlay,  Esq.  of  October  last,  Captain 
Leslie  Paterson  was  chosen  Chairman,  and  Mr. 
Archibald  Gillies ',  Secretary,  when  the  following 
were  adopted  as  Answers  to  the  said  Queries. 

2d.  Some  time  after  Colonel  Talbot  settled  at 
Port  Talbot. 

9th.  Soil  excellent,  marly  and  sandy  alternately, 
and  generally  level  and  well  watered. 

10th.  Maple,  beech,  elm,  basswood,  black  wal- 
nut, chestnut,  hickory,  white  and  black  ash. 

llth.  No  minerals  have  been  discovered.  Some 
limestone  about  the  creeks  and  shore  of  the  lake. 

12th.  No  building  stone;  but  famous  rocks  for 
millstones  are  discovered  in  many  places. 

13th.  No  bricks  have  been  made. 

14th.  No  lime  has  yet  been  burnt. 

15th.  No  blacksmiths,  masons,  or  carpenters, 
who  work  at  their  professions. 

25th.  Natural  pasture  good.  Not  ascertained 
what  an  ox  will  gain  by  a  summer's  run.  Milk 
and  butter  excellent,  but  none  for  sale. 


350  LONDON    DISTRICT* 

26th.  The  first  crop  is  wheat,  the  second  rye  of 
grass.  When  the  grass  is  ploughed  up,  the  com- 
mon course  is  to  summer  fallow  the  ground  and 
sow  it  with  wheat. 

27th.  No  land  has  been  let  upon  shares. 

29th.  Not  much  for  sale ;  we  do  not  know  the 
quantity. 

30th.  The  public  roads  are  tolerable,  and  are 
improving ;  the  labour  required  by  law  to  be  per- 
formed annually  by  each  settler  tends  to  improve 
the  roads  fast.  We  live  contiguous  to  the  Thames 
and  lake  Erie. 


The  following  letter,  written  to  me  by  a  person  who  once  farmed  in 
England,  and  is  now  a  magistrate  and  landholder  in  Upper 
Canada,  may  not  be  without  interest  to  some  Readers. 

SIR,  Walsingham,  Dec.  9,  1817. 

INCLOSED  you  have  the  Report  of  Bayham,  Middleton,  and 
Howton,  which  are  correct.  Please  pardon  me  for  troubling1  you  with 
the  following  account,  any  part  of  which  you  may  think  worth  notice, 
you  are  at  liberty  to  publish  in  England.  I  rented  a  farm  of  240  acres 
of  land  in  the  North  Riding1  of  Yorkshire,  sold  my  stock  and  farming 
Utensils,  which  was  all  the  fortune  T  had,  amounting  to  about  500 
guineas;  I  concluded  this  small  sum  would  go  a  little  way  in  pro- 
viding for  my  family  in  any  business  that  I  could  take  hold  of  in  that 
country.  I  consulted  my  friend  General  Hale  what  was  best  for  me 
to  do  ;  he  advised  me  to  come  to  Canada,  and  gave  me  a  letter  to 
Governor  Simcoe.  I  immediately  approved  of  his  plan,  and  left  Eng- 
land in  1793,  with  my  wife  and  eight  children  ;  landed  at  Philadelphia 
late  in  the  summer;  spent  my  time  in  Yew  York  until  June,  1794. 
I  could  not  get  a  passage  early  in  the  spring,  on  account  of  an  em- 
bargo. 1  arrived  at  Niagara  the  28th  of  July,  1791,  and  was  kindly 
received  by  the  Governor;  by  this  time  I  had  spent  the  principal 
part  of  the  money  I  had  brought  with  me  ;  for  out  of  500,  I  had  left 
upwards  of  300  guineas  in  notes,  to  be  collected  by  a  relation  who 
was  in  business,  but  was  shortly  bankrupt  after  I  left  England,  and  I 
never  received  a  shilling.  By  this  time  I  became  acquainted  with  the 
late  Hon.  Robert  Hamilton,  to  whom  I  made  my  situation  known, 
who  instantly  became  my  warm  friend  and  supporter.  From  him  I 
rented  a  farm  for  seven  years,  for  which  I  paid  him  100  dollars  per 
annum.  He  lent  me  money  to  buy  20  cows,  which  cost  500  dollars. 
I  had  but  one  dollar  left  when  I  began  farming ;  my  meat,  grain  for 
bread,  seed  for  the  land,  farming  utensils,  &c.  were  all  procured 
by  me  on  a  promise  of  payment  in  September,  which  amounted 
to  about  500  dollars.  I  began  making  cheese  the  first  of  May, 
1795,  which  succeeded  beyond  my  expectation ;  I  seldom  had  in  my 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  351 

31st.  The  lands  owned  by  non-residents  in  the 
Concessions,  near  the  river  Thames,  and  the  re- 
served lots,  seem  to  retard  the  growth  of  our  town- 
ship, as  well  as  the  province  at  large.  A  tax 
upon  the  lands  of  absentees  might  induce  them 
to  sell  to  persons  who  would  become  actual  set- 
tlers, which  would  facilitate  the  improvement  of 
our  settlement;  and  if  his  Majesty's  government 
would  dispose  of  the  reserved  lands  throughout 
the  province,  we  are  of  opinion,  it  would  much 
contribute  to  improve  the  same. 

By  order  of  the  Meeting, 
(Signed)     LESLIE  PATERSON,  Chairman. 
ARCHIBALD  GILLIES,  Secretary. 

dairy  room  any  cheese,  that  was  more  than  three  months  old  ;  sold 
all  I  m  cle  for  seven  years,  at  f  dot.  per  Ib.  except  one  ton  which  I  sold 
in  1802,  tor|  dol.  per  ll>.  The  field  is  still  open:  the  price  and  market 
as  good  as  ever.  A  dairy  of  20  cows,  well  attended,  will  make  the 
following  amount,  viz. 

Dob. 

Cheese  through  the  summer  season 1200 

Loose  butter  throughout  the  year 100 

Twenty  calves  reared  to  the  last  November 100 

Fifteen  pigs  fed  with  whey 150 

Total  profit  one  year  1550 

Grass  fed  heef  here,  far  exceeds  our  expectation  the  first  sight  we 
have  of  this  country,  but  cattle  will  fat  as  well,  and  tallow  better  than 
in  many  parts  of  England  ;  this  1  was  assured  by  some  of  my  country- 
men ;  1  did  not  credit  the  reporl  ;  determined  to  know  by  experience, 
I  turned  two  lean  oxen  into  a  small  field  two  acres  and  a  half,  the  10th 
day  of  April;  they  had  noo<her  pasture  nor  feed  of  any  kind  ;  they 
were  killed  the  last  day  of  November;  the  four  quarters  of  the  first 
weighed  820  ib.  and  had  125  Ib.  tallow,  the  four  quarters  of  the  second 
weighed  78o  Ib.  and  had  115  Ib.  tallow;  J  then  winter  fatted  four 
weiiids,  which  weiv  worth  in  the  fall  four  dols.  per  head  ;  they  made 
me  ib|  dols  per  head  ;  winter  feeding  of  cattle  or  sheep  may  be  prac- 
tised here  whh  success,  and  will  leave  larg^e  profits  ;  the  principal  ob- 
jection to  winter  feeding  is  the  want  of  labour  ;  turnips  can  be  raised 
here  win. nut  any  manure,  or  even  ploughing.  Clear  off  new  land, 
sow  the  ste«:  .;.-t  l«t<er  part  of  June,  or  the  beginning  of  July,  and  you 
geta<rop  oi  turnips  without  hoeing  or  any  more  trouble,  and  o;  as 
good  a  quality  as  I  ever  saw. 

Sir,  your  most  obedient,  &c. 
ROB.  GOURLAY,  Esq.  JOHN  BACKHOUSE. 


352 


STATISTICAL 


Shewing  the  Progress  of  Improvement  on 


Names  of  Settlers  in  order 
as   they   took  Possession, 
and  commenced  Improve- 
ment. 

Original 
Profession 
in  Business 

with  Num. 
her  of 
Children  at 
home     un- 
der    four- 
teen Years. 

Of  what 
Country  a 
Native. 

Date     of 
taking 
Posses- 
sion. 

Stock,  first  Year  of 
Settlement. 

No.      of 

Cows. 

No.      of 
Oxen. 

John  Barber. 

Farmer. 

Wife  &  4 

U.  States. 

1811 

2 

2 

Children. 

Freeman  Waters. 

Ditto. 

Do.  &  1 

Ditto. 

1814 

2 

... 

Do. 

James  Best.* 

Ditto. 

Do.  &4 

Ditto. 

1813 

2 

... 

Do. 

Chas.  Wei  Is  Waters. 

Ditto. 

Do.  &2 

Ditto. 

1814 

... 

... 

Do. 

James  Watson 

Ditto. 

Do.&7 

Ditto. 

1812 

2 

2 

Do. 

David  Watson.* 

Ditto. 

Do.  &4 

Ditto. 

1813 

2 

... 

Do. 

Richard  Williams. 

Weaver. 

Do.  &7 

England. 

1815 

... 

... 

Do. 

Andrew  Spring. 

Farmer. 

Do.  &6 

U.  States. 

1814 

1 

2 

Do. 

David  Wallace. 

Weaver. 

Do.  &8 

Scotland. 

1813 

... 

... 

Do. 

Timothy  Neal. 

Sailor. 

Ireland. 

1811 

B  urges  Swisher. 

Farmer. 

Wife"&  5 

U.  States. 

18JL 

!!. 

!.! 

Children. 

George  Clunes. 

Brick 

L.  Canad. 

1816 

maker. 

Charles  Benedict. 

Farmer. 

... 

U.  States. 

1815 

Joseph  Vanlese. 

Ditto. 

Wife'fc  3 

U.  States. 

1813 

... 

Children. 

Richard  Barret. 

Brick 

... 

Ireland. 

1813 

... 

... 

maker. 

James  Burwell, 

Farmer. 

Wife  &  9 

Colonies. 

1812 

2 

2 

U.  E.* 

Children. 

Neil  M'Nair. 

Ditto. 

do.  &  2  do 

Ireland. 

1811 

2 

2 

John  Burwell,  U.  E. 

Ditto. 

... 

J.Canad. 

1813 

Benjamin  Johnson. 

Ditto. 

Wife'&  5 

U.  States. 

1812 

... 

.. 

Children. 

John  Robins. 

Saddler. 

do.&3do 

Ditto. 

1815 

... 

... 

Samuel  M'Iniyre. 

Farmer. 

Do.  &1 

Nova 

1812 

... 

... 

Do. 

Scotia. 

Daniel  M'Intyre. 

Ditto. 

Do.  &  3 

Ditto. 

1812 

... 

... 

Do. 

James  M'Intyre. 

Ditto. 

Do.  &6 

Ditto. 

1815 

... 

... 

Do. 

John  Philpot. 

Ditto. 

Do.  &5 

Ditto. 

1812 

... 

... 

* 

Do. 

Samuel  Harris. 

Ditto. 

Do.  &2 

Ditto. 

1816 

... 

... 

Do. 

Total  Stock  at  first,  3  horses  I      15    |    10 


The  above  Table  was  filled  up  and  attested  by  M.  Burwell,  Esq.  M.  P.  13th  Dec. 
1817,  who  remarked  that  all  the  persons,  whose  names  are  mentioned  as  in  posses- 
sion of  their  lands  in  the  years  1812-1813,  or  early  in  1SI4,  had  to  perform  a  great 
deal  of  militia  service  in  time  of  the  late  war  with  the  United  States,  and  were 
plundered  by  marauding1  parties  of  the  enemy,  who  made  several  eruptions  to 
Port  Talbot  and  its  vicinity,  in  the  year  1814.  The  progress  therefore  which  they 
have  made  in  the  improvement  of  their  farms,  and  increase  of  their  stock,  is  much 
less  than  it  would  have  been  had  the  war  not  existed.  Each  settler  has  200  acres 
of  land.  Those  marked  U.  E.  got  their  land  for  nothing  from  government.  Others 
paid  fees  amounting  to  £'J.  7s.  6d.  each. 


TABLE,  353 

Talbot  Road,  in  the  London  District. 


Stock  at  the  present  Time.^0^,^**^8^ 

Total  Nui 
!>er  of  Acre 
cleared    up 
to   the    pre 
sent  Time. 

Esti  mated 
Worth  of  the 
Farm,   with  its 
Improvements 
at  <  his  Time. 

No.  o 

Cows. 

No.  o 
0«n 

No. 
Horg 

Vo.  of  Fir.t     Sec 

Slicep    Year.)  Yea 

Third  Fourtt 
Year.   Year 

i  rim 
Yta 

Sixt 
Yea 

5 

3 

2 

20 

5 

I 

14 

20 

8 

13 

... 

60 

«£550 

3 

4 

2 

... 

S 

12 

10 

10 

... 

... 

40 

.    450 

3 

2 

1 

... 

2 

3 

7 

8 

... 

... 

20 

340 

S 

... 

... 

... 

1 

4 

5 

... 

... 

... 

10 

300 

5 

2 

2 

12 

4 

5 

5 

4 

14 

... 

32 

410 

4 

2 

1 

... 

3 

4 

5 

7 

3 

... 

22 

355 

2 

1 

4 

5 

9 

295 

6 

2 

... 

4 

7 

6 

... 

... 

... 

17 

335 

2 

2 

... 

... 

1 

2 

3 

4 

... 

.. 

10 

290 

4 

2 

5 

4 

6 

6 

12 

8 

40 

450 

3 

2 

... 

... 

1 

3 

3 

3 

5 

8 

23 

365 

1 

4 

4 

270 

2 

2 

7 

10 

300 

2 

2 

... 

!!! 

1 

2 

3 

2 

... 

8 

290 

4 

2 

... 

... 

2 

4 

5 

11 

... 

22 

360 

4 

2 

2 

5 

5 

5 

7 

8 

... 

30 

400 

4 

2 

... 

16 

7 

3 

6 

6 

10 

11 

43 

465 

2 

1 

1 

2 

3 

4 

... 

10 

300 

4 

"2 

... 

... 

1 

2 

4 

5 

... 

... 

12 

310 

4 

6 

12 

310 

2 

... 

1 

3 

4 

7 

5 

4 

10 

... 

30 

400 

4 

2 

1 

9 

9 

7 

10 

6 

8 

... 

40 

450 

3 

7 

8 

15 

325 

4 

2 

.  .. 

15 

4 

10 

8 

9 

9 

... 

40 

450 

2 

2 

... 

... 

15 

15 

325 

81    i  39  i  14  |  75  Total  Stock,  1817. 


*  Those  marked  with  an  asterisk,  had  each  a  horse  at  first  settlement.  The 
original  Table  contained  25  more  names;  but  the  above  are  quite  enough  for  th« 
pwpoae  of  tills  publication. 


A    A 


354  STATISTICAL 

Composed  of  Extracts  from  the  Township 


WAGES  OF 

Names  of 
Townships. 

When  Settled. 

-Inhabited  Houses. 

K 

No  of  i_  liur.  i>  '>r 
Places  of  Worship. 

No.  of  Preachers. 

No.  of  Medical 
Practitioners. 

No.  of  Schools. 

Fees  per  Quarter. 

No.  of  Stores. 
"  No.  of  T  iverns. 
•No.  of  Grist  Mills. 
-  No.  of  Saw  Mills. 

11 

£ 

Prices  of  Lime  per 
bushel. 

1 

ii 

HI 

t  
Carpenters  p.day. 

1L 

C 

Common  Labour- 
ers per  Annum. 

Delaware 

1795 

IS 

80 

1 

0 

0 

1 

s.d. 

1 

I   T 
1    ' 

,*.  d. 

*.  d. 

Per 

[M. 

«.  d.  ».  it. 

£.     8. 

£*• 

Westmin- 

ster   

1811 

107 

4** 

oU 

0 

1 

.. 

1 

2 

1 

1  ,300 

6     5 

,10.0'  10  (0 

&    10 

Dorches- 

ter .... 

0      0 

0 

0 

1 

0    0 

- 

Oxford  .. 

1795 

76 

630 

0 

IB. 

0 

4 

10  0 

3 

i 

2 

3    30  0 

1   3 

6     5 

16 

10  P> 

0       0 

Blenheim, 

&c. 

1797 

31 

160 

0 

0 

1 

1 

15  0 

0 

° 

2 

2    32  6 

1  A 

7  10 

1  6 

126 

.{5       0 

Burford  A 

Per 

its  Gore 

1793 

100 

560 

0 

2  M. 

1 

ft 

12  6 

9 

V 

*    25  0 

1  3 

R 

10  0 

-v 

35       0 

Windham 

1794 

48 

293 

0 

1  P. 

o 

t 

.. 

2 

0   0 

O1  25  0    1  X 

6    a 

63    63 

'5      0 

Towiisend 

1796 

120 

716 

1  p. 

IB. 

°l  * 

13  6 

2 

0 

1 

3    30  0 

1  h 

.; 

89 

8  9 

13     10 

Walpole 

* 

and 

Rainham  . 

1793 

47 

241; 

0 

IMen. 

o 

0 

... 

0 

0 

1 

1    25  0,   1  r 

5    0 

5050 

A 

Wood- 

i        ; 

house  .. 

1794 

100 

711 

1M. 

1  M. 

1 

3 

12  6 

3 

3 

7    25  o 

1  3 

7     6 

76 

7  6 

25       0 

Charlotte- 

J*. 

ville    .. 

1793 

132 

900 

IB. 

JIB! 

i  ° 

ft 

13  G 

7 

3 

3   30  0 

•• 

6     5 

7  6 

10  0 

27     10 

PrD. 

Walsing- 

».  d. 

ham    .. 

1791 

50 

337 

0 

0 

0 

1 

10  0 

0    1 

3 

2   300 

•• 

6     3 

6  a 

6  3 

•  - 

Middle- 

ton  

1815 

30 

.. 

0 

0 

0 

0 

.. 

01 

0 

0   30  0 

- 

10  0 

6  3 

.- 

97    10 

Norwich  . 

1808 

... 

2Q 

3Q 

3 

.. 

1 

3   250 

.. 

6  3 

7  6 

30       0 

Bayham  . 

1813 

60 

.. 

« 

0 

0 

2 

10  0 

2    1 

1 

1    25  0 

.. 

10  0 

7  6 

.. 

30      0 

Malahide. 

1811 

150 

775 

0 

0 

0 

13  6 

1 

3 

1 

0      .. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

27     10 

Yarmouth 

1811 

75 

400 

0 

0 

2 

.. 

1 

2 

•2 

1    35  0 

.. 

10  0 

10  C 

25      0 

South- 

wold  .. 

1811 

18< 

1)00 

0 

0        0 

3 

12  6 

2 

0 

0      .. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

30      0 

Dunwicb  . 

1803 

100 

500 

0 

1 

13  6 

1 

1 

0      .. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

30       0 

Aldbo- 

1 

rough  .  . 

•• 

90 

400 

0 

0 

0 

1 

100 

1 

1    0 

0      ., 

•• 

-• 

" 

•• 

33       0 

Totals. 

.- 

1514 

7917 

G 

14 

640 

142  6 

2* 

292GS 

"3  397  t 

9    -2 

6£  5s 

1063 

94  9 

510  10 

Averag- 

ed by 

-• 

19 

17 

21 

21 

21 

*1 

12 

:<l 

21  21  ' 

21      14 

8 

6  &4 

14 

11 

17 

Averages 

79 

465 

..  28     4 

'    11 

-   6  A 
6113 

7     7 

8  7 

30  0  7 

In  the  fifth  and  sixth  columns  B.  stands  for  Baptist;  M.  for  Methodist ; 


TABLE. 

Reports  of  the  London  District. 


355 


WAGE*  OF 

PRICES  OF  LIVE  STOCK. 

Common  Labour-l 
ers  per  Winter 
month.  1 

Common  Labour- 
ers per  Summer 
raonlh. 

Common  Labourers 
per  Bay  in  Harvest. 

k 

f  5 

Costofflearina:  and 
fencing  five  Acres 
of  wild  Land. 

i 

A  Cow. 

! 

I 

Quantity  of  Wool 
per  Sheep. 

Price  of  Wool  per  Ib. 

Produce  of  wheat  in 
bushels,  per  acrv. 

An  U.\  will  gain  in 
a  Summers  run. 

Price  of  Butter, 
per  Ib. 

Price  of  Cheese, 
per  Ib. 

1  Price  of  Land  per 
Acre,  at  first. 

1  Price  of  Laud  per 
Acre  now. 

L.    s. 

L.  s. 

L.  t. 

L.   t.  ».  d. 

rt. 

*.  d. 

Ib. 

.  d.  s.d. 

«.  d. 

s.  d. 

3    10 

3     16 

i>    0 

6     S 

26      0 

15    0 

6      5 

15  0 

84 

3    0 

22 

i 

1  0 

5    <) 

-M  0 

3     10 

3     15 

5     0 

5     0 

25      0 

16    fi 

6      6 

10      0 

15  0 

3 

2     6 

26 

i 

0  11 

074 

2    6 

126 

3     10 

3     15 

5     0 

6     3 

18    15 

15    0 

5      0 

8    15 

12  6 

3 

2     6 

37 

- 

074 

•• 

126 

2       0 

3     15 

5    0 

5    0 

18    15 

25    0 

6       6 

10      0 

12  6 

3 

2     6 

200 

0  10 

074 

5    0 

133 

2       5 

3       7 

*    05    0 

18     15 

5       S 

8      2  13  6      3 

2     6 

.. 

136 

.. 

.. 

5    0 

100 

3        0 

3     15 

6    35    0 

31       5 

20    0 

5       0 

8     15 

10  0 

3 

3     6 

1& 

-• 

1     0 

074 

1     3 

7  a 

|£l 

2       0 

3       0 

5    05    0 

15      0 

15    0 

5       0 

6      5 

12  0 

S 

2    fi 

15 

150 

1     0 

1  0 

5     0 

15  0 

2       0 

3       0 

5    0 

5     0 

12     10 

15     0 

5      0 

6      5 

12  6 

3 

2     6 

15 

150 

1    0 

1  0 

5    0 

80  0 

2       0 

S      5 

•• 

5     0 

25       0 

17  10 

5     10 

7     10 

126 

3 

2    9 

17 

" 

1    3 

1  3 

&    0 

20  0 

2       0 

3      2 

5     0 

5    0 

17     10 

IS  15 

5     12 

6     18 

126 

34 

2  8 

* 

.. 

-. 

.. 

5    0 

17  6 

1       18 

3       " 

5     0 

5    0 

18      2 

16    5 

5    12 

9       8 

15  0 

4 

2    6 

SO 

1     3 

1  3 

2     10 

3     16 

5     0 

5    0 

22     10 

15    0 

6       5 

7     10 

12  6 

84 

2    0    86 

0    9 

074 

8    3 

13  0 

2       0 

4       0 

5     05    0 

18     15 

16    6 

5      0 

9      6 

17  6 

2    S   30 

.. 

1     3 

1  3 

5    0 

12  6 

2       0 

3       (1 

.... 

25       0 

15    0 

5      0 

- 

12  6 

SJ 

3     0    27 

150 

" 

5    0 

27  6 

2       0 

3       0 

5     0 

5    0 

25       0 

15     0 

5      0 

•• 

12  G 

3 

3    6 

25 

i 

1     S 

1  3 

5    0 

200 

2       5 

3       0 

.. 

.. 

25       0 

15    0 

5       0 

10      0 

12  6 

24 

2     6 

25 

175 

1     0 

.. 

5    0 

25  0 

2       0 

3     1C 

6     0 

-- 

30       0 

15    0 

5       0 

9       0 

V2  6 

3 

2     6 

27 

200 

1     0 

" 

5    0 

30  0 

2       0 

3     10 

5     0 

- 

27     10 

16     0 

5     10 

..   : 

13  0 

4 

"' 

30 

•- 

- 

- 

S.O 

ti     s 

61     11 

81  'a 

72  G 

389       7 

292     4 

97       7 

117  14 

335 

67: 

44  5 

399 

1160 

14  6 

11  1 

75  0 

see 

19 

18 

16 

14 

18 

18 

IS 

14 

18 

IS 

17 

17 

7 

14 

12 

16 

17 

2       < 

3     8  4 

t5     1 

5     2 

91   12     7 

16  4  fi 

5  8  « 

S          S 

13  C 

^ 

*"? 

234 

165 

104 

Mi 

4  SI 

21  6 

1 

P.  for  Presbyterian  ;  Men.  for  Menonist;  and  Q.  for  Quaker. 


356  LONDON   DISTRICT. 


SUMMARY    OF    POPULATION,    &C. 

From  the  foregoing  Table  it  ap- 
pears that  there  are  in  17  townships  7917  people  ; 
being  465  for  each  township.  The 
houses  inhabited  by  these  people 
amount  to  lo  14,  which  gives  five  and 
a  little  more  than  one-fourth*  for 
each  house  or  family. 

Midclleton  and  Bayham  have  90 
houses,  and  their  people,  not  being 
reported,  may  be  reckoned  by  the 
above  average  of  five  and  a  fourth  to  a 
house  uf  .  *i  472 

Norwich,  whereof  neither  the 
number  of  houses  nor  people  are 
given,  may  be  reckoned  to  contain 
the  average  number  of  people  to  a 
township  U  :  .  iJpl  465 

The  only  townships  of  the  London 
district  not  regularly  reported  are 
Burford,  London,  Dereham,  and 
Hough  ton.  The  first  contained  in 
1817  only  one  family;  the  second 
two  families;  the  third  one  family; 


*  Five  and  a  fourth  to  a  family  is  too  little  for  Upper  Canada ; 
but  at  the  beginning  of  a  settlement  there  are  many  families  with 
men  but  lately  married  at  their  head.  Seven  will  perhaps  be  near 
the  true  average  in  old  settled  districts :  but  the  reader  will  set- 
how  it  turns  out  in  Niagara  district. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  357 

and  in  the  report  of  Micldleton  the 
settlers  of  Houghton  are  said  lo  be 
six — say  altogether  10  families,  reck- 
oned at  five  and  a  little  more  than  a 
fourth  .  .  .  .  .  53 

Total   population  of  the 

London  district  '  ;<P*    8907 

There  are  no  Indian  settlements  in  this  district, 
although  parties  of  the  Six  Nations,  Missasagas, 
&c.  may  be  seen  occasionally  wandering  about  and 
pitching  their  wigwams  as  it  suits  their  temporary 
convenience  for  hunting,  &c. 

It  appears,  that  for  the  above  population  there 
are  but  six  places  of  worship  and  14  resident 
preachers:  viz.  three  Baptists,  six  Methodists,  one 
Presbyterian,  one  Menonist,  and  three  Quakers. 
There  are  six  medical  practitioners,  40  schools, 
and  29  taverns. 

What  retards  improvement  is  stated  in  14  re- 
ports to  be  the  great  quantity  of  land  granted  to 
non-residents:  in  nine  reports  to  be  the  crown, 
clergy,  and  other  reserves :  in  three  reports,  the 
want  of  settlers,  with  capital,  enterprise,  &c. ; 
in  one  report,  remoteness  from  market,  and^the 
difficulty  of  the  water  communication  with  the 
lower  province. 


358  GORE    DISTRICT. 

•;i^   ^  JJ 

TRAFALGAR. 


MR.  ROBERT  GOURLAY. 


AT  a  meeting  of  the  inhabitants  of  our 
township,  holden  on  the  27th  November,  1817, 
at  the  house  of  Daniel  Munn,  innkeeper,  the  fol- 
lowing answers  were  framed  in  reply  to  your 
queries,  as  they  appeared  to  us  in  the  Niagara 
Spectator. 

9th.  The  surface  of  the  land  is  level  ;  the  top  soil 
is  clay,  mixed  with  loam  and  a  little  gravel  ;  under 
that  is  clay,  mostly  of  a  red  colour. 

10th.  Our  timber  consists  of  oak,  two  kinds,  white 
and  red  ;  pine,  very  large,  of  the  white  kind;  beech  ; 
maple,  two  kinds  ;  sugar  maple,  and  soft  maple  ; 
ash,  two  kinds,  the  black  or  swamp  ash,  and  white 
ash  ;  basswood  ;  hickory  ;  elm  ;  white  and  red  ; 
hemlock  ;  ironwood  ;  chestnut  ;  some  birch  ;  quaking 
asp  ;  some  cedar;  some  butternut,  and  a  little  tama- 
rask  :  the  timber  mostly  large,  and  stands  thick  on 
the  land. 

llth.  Respecting  minerals,  there  is  a  considerable 
quantity  of  the  mineral  of  iron,  called  bog  ore; 
also  a  few  salt  springs  of  an  inferior  kind. 

12th.  Building  stones,  none,  excepting  a  few, 
which  may  be  found  over  the  land  of  a  very  indif- 
ferent kind. 

15th.  Blacksmiths  most  generally  work  by  the 
pound  ;  that  is,  7|d.  per  Ib.  when  the  iron  and  steel 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  359 

are  found,  and  Is.  3d.  when  the  blacksmith  finds 
the  materials ;  to  this  there  are  some  exceptions, 
but  not  many. 

18th.  The  common  custom  of  our  township  is  to 
cut  down  no  more  at  first  than  the  timber  which 
is  a  foot  in  diameter,  measured  about  two  feet  and 
a  half  from  the  root  of  the  tree,  and  all  under  that 
size  ;  and  the  rest  they  girdle  and  kill  with  the 
axe.  In  this  state  it  will  produce  nearly  as  good  a 
crop  as  if  all  were  cut  down,  and  this  only  costs 
1L  10s.  per  acre  ;  the  rest  of  the  timber  is  cut  down 
by  degrees,  for  fencing  and  for  fire  wood,  &c. 

21st.  Beasts  are  turned  out  about  the  first  of 
May,  and  taken  in  about  the  first  of  December. 

22d.  Sleighing  lasts  about  three  months,  that  is, 
beginning  about  the  first  of  January,  and  ends 
about  the  last  of  March.  Ploughing  begins  about 
the  20th  of  April. 

23d.  Season  of  sowing  wheat  is  from  the  25th 
of  August  till  the  1st  of  October;  the  time  of 
harvesting  of  said  grain  is  from  the  twentieth  of 
July  till  the  end  of  August. 

25th.  Respecting  pasture,  as  the  wild  woods 
constitute  our  principal  pasture  lands,  we  have 
not  yet  made  sufficient  experiments  to  enable  us 
to  answer  your  query  ;  but  our  meadow  lands  will 
generally  produce  one  ton  per  acre. 

26th.  The  ordinary  course  of  cropping  in  new 
land,  is  wheat  the  first  year,  harrowed  in,  and 
sometimes  a  crop  of  oats  are  harrowed  in,  in  the 
spring,  on  the  stubbk  ;  then  it  is  sown  down  with 
Timothy  or  clover,  or  both  together,  and  is  used  for 


360  GORE    DISTRICT* 

meadow  for  three  or  four  years,  till  the  roots  rot  in 
the  ground,  and  then  ploughed  up,  after  which 
buckwheat  or  pease  are  generally  sown  first,  and 
then  wheat,  perhaps  the  same  season  ;  and  then 
pease  or  buckwheat,  or  oats,  and  then  wheat,  and 
so  on  alternately  ;  little  or  no  manure  is  used,  but 
corn  land  and  orchards  require  it  most. 

27th.  Land  is  frequently  let  on  shares  on  the 
following  terms:  if  new,  the  leaser  finds  the  leasee 
in  team,  in  boarding,  in  farming  utensils,  and  in 
half  the  seed,  and  then  receives  one  half  the 
produce.  If  old  land,  and  the  leasee  finds  every 
thing,  the  leaser  has  one  third  of  the  produce.  If 
the  leaser  finds  every  thing,  the  leasee  has  only 
one  third  of  the  produce.  Enough  of  land  can  be 
had  on  either  of  these  ways. 

28th.  A  farm  of  two  hundred  acres,  with  a  log 
house  and  barn  upon  it,  with  40  acres,  cleared  in 
the  customary  way,  may  be  had  for  37.51.  If  frame 
buildings  are  upon  it,  a  greater  price  ;  but  seldom 
in  proportion  to  the  buildings. 

29th.  The  quantity  of  land  for  sale  we  cannot 
justly  describe,  but  we  suppose  3  or  4000  acres; 
and  there  are  but  few  farmers  in  our  township,  who 
would  not  even  sell  their  improved  farms,  if  they 
had  the  offer  of  a  good  price. 

30th.  The  state  of  public  roads  at  present  is  but 
indifferent ;  but  they  are  capable  of  improvement 
at  a  very  moderate  expence.  As  the  face  of  our 
country  is  generally  level,  great  improvement 
might  be  made  by  means  of  canals  and  locks.  Re- 
specting our  navigation,  we  are  situated  on  the 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  361 

coast  of  lake  Ontario,  and  thence  we  have  the 
benefit  of  all  the  adjoining  waters.  Besides  we 
have  two  very  fine  streams,  called  the  Twelve  and 
Sixteen  Mile  Creeks  ;  these  can  be  made  navigable 
for  boats,  some  part  of  the  year,  four  miles  from  the 
mouth,  to  communicate  with  our  mills  onDundas 
street.  The  mouth  of  the  Sixteen,  where  it  empties 
into  lake  Ontario,  is  navigable  for  vessels  of  a  con- 
siderable burden,  and  forms  a  safe  and  commodious 
harbour. 

81st.  The  causes  which  retard  the  improvement 
of  our  township  and  the  province  at  large  are 
various.  The  first  and  principal  cause  you  have 
already  very  justly  observed,  that  is,  the  want  of 
capital;  this  may  perhaps  be  best  illustrated  by 
facts:  know  then,  that  the  greater  number  of  our 
farmers,  when  they  first  settled  in  the  wild  woods, 
have  little  more  property  than  a  cow,  a  yoke  of  j 
oxen,  a  log  chain,  and  an  axe;  and  some  have 
little  or  no  property  at  all  but  their  axe  alone.  » 
The  family  generally  consists  of  a  man  and  his 
wife,  and  a  number  of  young  children,  unable  to 
hire  hands  ;  the  whole  of  the  labour  naturally  de- 
volves upon  the  man,  and  hence  it  is,  that  for  six 
or  seven  years,  till  such  time  as  the  roots  of  the 
timber  begin  to  rot  in  the  ground,  so  that  he  can 
use  the  plough,  and  until  the  eldest  of  his  children 
grows  up  to  help  him,  his  toil  is  incessant;  four  or 
five  acres  are  all  that  he  is  able  to  clear  and  sow  in 
a  season,  and  that  is  generally  put  in  so  late,  that  it 
produces  but  little ;  so  that  the  whole  of  his  crop 
will  scarcely  support  him  through  the  year ;  but 
many  times  he  has  to  work  out  for  a  part  of  his 


362  GORE    DISTRICT. 

bread.     Clothes  he  must  have  for  himself  and  his 
family,   and   these  must  be  got  out  of  the  store ; 
and    merchant's  goods  are  very  dear  in   this   pro- 
vince;  and  as  he  hath  nothing  to  pay  with,  he  is 
obliged  to  go  on  credit.     These  in  a  few  years  soon 
run  up  high,  so  that  by   the  time  he  gets  his  farm 
in  such  a  state  of  improvement,  as  might   enable 
him  to  live  comfortable,  he  is  frequently  obliged  to 
sell  it,   in   order  to  pay  off  his  debts.     Such  is  the 
consequence  of  beginning  poor.     But  this,  you  will 
observe,   is  only    the   gloomy   side   of  things;  for 
those  who  are  so  fortunate  as  to  weather  out    the 
storm    the   first   ten   years,  without   sinking  their 
plantations,    are   generally   enabled    to    spend   the 
remainder  of  their  days  in  comfort.     The  scarcity 
of  labourers,   and  the  very  high  price  of  labour,  so 
that  the  produce  will  scarcely  pay  the  hands,  forms 
another  hindrance  to  the  improvement  of  our  town- 
ship, and  the  province  at  large.     Another  hindrance 
is,  that  in  many  places  of  this  province,  large  tracts 
of  land   have  been   granted  to  certain   individuals, 
and    these    being   generally    men    of  fortune,    are 
under  no  necessity  of  selling  their  lands,  but  hold 
them  at  so  high  a  price,   that  poor  people  are  not 
able  to  buy  them  ;   again,  there  are  many  of  these 
gentlemen  gone  out  of  the  province,  so  that  there 
is   no  opportunity   to  purchase  from  them;  so  it 
still  remains  a  wilderness,  and  the  poor  people  who 
are  settled  round  such  tracts,   have  roads  to  make, 
and  every  other  public  duty  to  perform,  at  their 
own  expence,  which  greatly  enhances  the  value  of 
such  land,  to  the  great  injury  of  the  inhabitants. 

1 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  363 

Another  hindrance  respecting  our  township,  is 
that  a  great  number  of  lots  are  reserved  for  the 
crown  and  the  clergy,  and  notwithstanding  that 
these  lots  might  be  rented  for  21  years,  for  a  very 
small  sum  of  money,  yet  the  land,  in  this  province, 
has  hitherto  been  so  plenty  and  cheap,  that  no  one 
cares  for  renting  land,  who  can  have  it  in  fee  simple: 
hence  it  is,  that  the  greater  number  of  them  still 
remain  unsettled  ;  but  when  settlers  become  numer- 
ous, this  evil  will  soon  be  done  away. 

What,  in  our  opinion,  would  most  contribute 
to  the  improvement  of  our  township  and  the  pro- 
vince at  large,  would  be  to  encourage  men  of  pro- 
perty into  the  country,  to  purchase  the  waste  lands 
of  our  province,  which  if  sold  even  at  a  moderate 
price,  would  introduce  such  a  flow  of  capital  into 
our  province,  as  would  not  only  encourage  a  re- 
spectable race  of  settlers  of  every  description,  to 
come  in  and  cultivate  the  face  of  the  country,  and 
turn  the  wilderness  into  fruitful  fields,  but  it  would 
also  make  trade  arid  manufactures  of  all  kinds 
flourish  ;  then  would  our  province  no  longer  re- 
main poor,  neglected,  and  unknown  to  the  rest  of 
the  world  ;  but  would  become  a  respectable  colony, 
not  only  able  to  support  herself,  but  she  would  add 
a  large  revenue  to  the  British  crown,  and  her  redun- 
dancies would  contribute  to  feed  the  hungry,  and 
clothe  the  poor  of  other  nations. 

Sir, 

WE  have  also  seen  your  second  address*    with 
your  additional  query,  which  we  answer  as  follows  : 

*  Owing  to  an  opposition  set  up  immediately  after  the  pubii- 


364  GORE    DISTRICT. 


.  We  know  of  none  in  Upper  Canada,  whom 
we  would  sooner  trust  to  publish  the  statistics  of 
our  province  than  yourself. 

We  are  willing  therefore  to  trust  the  whole  to 
your  own  veracity,  and  may  the  highest  success 
crown  your  labours. 

It  is  true,  we  have  seen  a  parcel  of  heterogeneous 
stuff  in  the  Niagara  Spectator  pointed  against  your 
plan,  which,  like  the  Palace  of  Vanity,  appears  to 
have  no  foundation,  and  like  it  too  shall  vanish 
into  air;  yes,  into  thin  air,  and  leave  not  a  trace 
behind. 

Indeed,  such  ill  timed  jargon,  quite  unsupported 
by  reason,  will  only  serve  to  urge  the  business  on 
more  rapidly  ;  and  here,  Sir,  is  a  striking  proof,  for 
it  has  reminded  us  at  the  end  of  our  work  of  what 
we  should  have  done  at  the  beginning,  namely, 
to  jointly  offer  you  our  warmest  thanks  for  the 
strenuous  efforts  you  have  made,  and  the  spirit  of 
benevolence  you  have  displayed  in  endeavouring  to 


cation  of  my  first  address  to  the  resident  landholders,  I  con- 
ferred with  some  magistrates  as  to  what  should  be  done,  and  it  was 
resolved  to  publish  a  letter,  desiring  the  township  reports  to  be 
sent  in  to  one  of  these  magistrates,  to  be  made  use  of  by  him  and 
the  other  magistrates  as  they  thought  proper;  while,  at  the  sam« 
time,  I  put  a  question  to  the  people  as  to  their  confidence  in  me. 
The  letter,  after  getting  out  of  my  hands,  was  altered,  and  caused 
the  reports  to  be  still  directed  to  me.  In  many  of  the  reports  si- 
milar additions  were  added  to  the  regular  replies  in  the  same  way 
as  here  quoted,  together  with  compliments  and  good  wishes. 
These,  however,  I  have  withheld,  allowing  this  report  only  to  go  i» 
full,  as  a  specimen,— R.  G. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  365 

promote  the  prosperity  of  our  province,   and  the 
happiness  of  our  fellow  subjects. 

,      (Signed) 

JAMES  M'BRIDE,  J.  P.  AMOS  BIGGER. 

DANIEL  MUNN.  MICHAEL  BUCK. 

CHARLES  BIGGER.  TIMOTHY  ROBINS. 

DUNCAN  M'QUEEN.  JAMES  THOMSON. 

ABSALOM  SMITH.  BENJAMIN  SMITH. 

JAMES  BIGGER.  NATHANIEL  CORNWAL. 

JAMES  HOPPER.  HENRY  LOUCKS. 

LAWRENCE  HAGER.  JOSEPH  SMITH. 


NELSON. 


To  MR.  ROBERT  GOURLAY. 
SIR, 

HAVING  observed  in  the  public  papers 
your  address  to  the  resident  land  owners  of  Upper 
Canada,  we  avail  ourselves  of  the  present  oppor- 
tunity, as  a  proof  of  our  high  approbation  of 
your  plan,  to  communicate,  with  a  statistic  of  this 
township,  our  acknowledgment,  for  the  interest 
you  take  in  the  colonial  and  agricultural  improve- 
ment of  this  infant  country.  We  flatter  ourselves, 
from  the  nature  of  the  subject,  in  which  public  and 
private  interest  are  so  nearly  connected,  that  it  will 
not  tail  producing  the  desired  effect.  If  the  annex- 
ed statement  will  be  in  any  manner  subservient  to 

3 


866  GORE    DISTRICT. 

your  purposes,  you  are  at  liberty  to  make  use  of  the 
same. 

3d.  Two  itinerant  professional  Methodist  prea- 
chers*. 

9th.  The  soil  is  generally  clay,  suitable  for  win- 
ter grain  and  grass,  gradually  descending  to  the 
south. 

10th.  The  kinds  of  timber  are,  white  oak,  red  oak, 
white  pine,  maple,  hickory,  basswood,  black  and 
white  ash,  and  a  small  quantity  of  some  other  kinds. 

12th.  There  are  lime  and  freestone  for  building, 
which  may  be  had  for  5s.  per  toise  at  the  quarry. 

15th.  Blacksmiths  commonly  charge  7^d  per  Ib. 
for  working  iron,  which  sells  also  for  7^d.  per  Ib. 

21st.  The  ordinary  time  of  turning  out  beasts 
to  pasture,  is  the  first  of  May,  and  of  taking  them 
home  into  the  yard  or  stable,  1st  of  December. 

22d.  The  ordinary  endurance  of  the  sleighing 
season,  is  from  the  1st  of  January  to  the  15th  of 
March,  and  the  ordinary  time  to  commence  plough- 
ing in  the  spring,  is  the  1st  of  May. 

£3d.  The  ordinary  season  for  sowing  wheat,  is 
the  first  week  in  September,  and  of  reaping  it  the 
first  week  in  August. 

25th.  One  cow  will  produce  41b.  of  butter  per 
week  during  pasturing. 

26th.  The  ordinary  course  of  cropping  on  new 
lands,  is  to  sow  wheat  the  first  year ;  the  second, 
seed  it  with  grass  ;  and  the  fourth  year,  plough  it  up 
for  fallow  :  autumn  is  the  time  for  manuring. 

*  I  presume  these  may  be  the  same  noticed  in  Trafalgar  Re- 
port ;  but,  having  doubt,  I  enter  one  Methodist  preacher  in  the 
Table  for  this  Township,— R.  G. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  367 

27th.  Land  is  let  on  shares  to  a  small  extent,  for 
which  the  owner  receives  one-third  of  the  produce. 

28th.  The  present  price  of  a  farm  with  30  acres 
improvement,  21.  10s.  per  acre. 

29th.  There  are  1,500  acres  of  land  for  sale. 

30th.  Public  roads  are  capable  of  much  im- 
provement, at  a  moderate  expense  ;  there  can  be  no 
improvement  of  water  conveyances  by  canals  or 
locks. 

31st.  The  impediments  to  the  improvement  of 
our  township  are  two,  many  crown  and  clergy  re- 
served lots,  and  the  want  of  mechanics  of  all  kinds. 
There  is  a  large  tract  of  wild  land  adjoining  us, 
owned  by  the  native  Indians  ;  if  the  assistance  of 
government  could  be  had  in  procuring  this  land*, 
and  sending  settlers  of  an  enterprising  disposition 
upon  it,  it  would  contribute  much  to  the  improve- 
ment of  our  situation.  As  it  respects  the  province 
in  general,  we  are  induced  to  believe,  that  men  of 
capital  with  a  sufficient  proportion  of  hands  would 
contribute  to  the  improvement  of  the  same. 

We  have  the  honour  to  be, 

Sir, 
Your  mos, t  obedient  humble  servants, 

THOMAS  ATKINSON.  MOSES  M<CAY. 

GEORGE  GRAME.  NATHANIEL  BELL. 

WILLIAM  CHISHOLM.  HECTOR  G.  TAYLOR. 
DANIEL  O'REILLEY. 

*  It  has  since  been  purchased  by  government,  and  is  now 
Settling.  Much  of  it  is  excellent  land.— R.  G. 


368  GORE    DISTRICT, 

WELLINGTON  SQUARE. 

MR.  ROBERT  GOURLAY. 
SIR, 

WE,  the  inhabitants  of  Wellington  Square, 
being  settlers  on  a  tract  of  land  granted  to  the  late 
Captain  Brant,  for  his  military  services  ;  and  being 
also  part  of  the  township  of  Nelson,  having  met  in 
order  to  answer  the  questions  you  have  stated,  the 
result  of  which  we  transmit  to  you,  in  hopes  that 
it  may  be  some  assistance  towards  accomplishing 
the  plan  you  have  undertaken. 

9th.  The  soil  is  variable ;  on  the  front,  near  the 
lake,  it  is  sandy  ;  on  the  rear  it  inclines  more  to  a 
clay ;  for  about  two  miles  from  the  lake  it  is  level, 
and  then  rises  into  ridges,  and  more  uneven  land. 

10th.  The  timber  consists  of  white  pine,  oak,  hick- 
ory, ash,  sugar  maple,  and  most  kinds  of  hard  wood. 

llth.  There  is  no  kind  of  mineral  except  lime- 
stone, which  is  in  great  plenty,  and  which  is  made 
use  of  for  building.  There  is  no  price  set,  as  every 
one  gets  what  he  likes  by  quarrying  them. 

16th.  Women,  for  spinning,  7s.  6d.  per  week. 

17th.  The  price  of  mowing  grass  for  hay  is  3s.  9d. 
per  day. 

19th.  A  fat  sheep  in  the  summer  season  will 
fetch  11.  5s. 

25th.  A  good  milch  c/)w,  in  the  course  of  the 
summer,  will  produce  lOOlbs.  of  butter,  and  as 
much  cheese. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  369 

30th.  Roads  in  general  are  not  in  a  good  state  of 
improvement,  owing  in  part  to  the  large  proportion 
of  reserved  lands:  this  compels  the  inhabitants  to  do 
that  much  statute  labour  more  than  they  would  do 
if  the  whole  was  settled. 

In  many  parts  of  the  province  large  tracts  are 
owned  by  private  gentlemen,  many  of  whom  are  non- 
residents in  the  country  :  in  those  townships  there 
are  but  few  settlers,  and  the  roads  in  a  bad  state. 

31st.  The  reason  that  the  province  has  not  im- 
proved more  since  the  first  settlement  is  in  part 
owing  to  the  inhabitants  wanting  the  me.ans  of 
assisting  themselves  more  than  they  were  capable 
of  doing  by  manual  labour  ;  and  the  damage  they 
sustained  during  the  late  war,  has  added  much 
to  their  disadvantage. 

Wellington  Square, 
2lst  November,  1817. 

(Signed)        JOHN  BRANT, 
AUGUSTUS  BATES,    ASAHEL  DAVIS, 
THOMAS  GHENT,      JAMES  MORDEN, 
RALPH  MORDEN,     NICHOLAS  KERN. 


3   EAST  FLAMBORO'. 

At  a  Meeting  of  a  few  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the, 
Township  of  East  Flamboro',  held  in  pursuance 
of  a  public  Notice  at  the  House  of  Mr.  Alexan- 
der Brown,  22c?  November,  1817,  for  the  Pur- 
pose  of  taking  the  Address  of  Mr.  Robert  Gour- 

B  B 


370  GORE    DISTRICT. 

lay  into  Consideration,  and  answering  the  Queries 
by  him  proposed,  at  which  Meeting,  George 
Chisholm,  Jun.  was  chosen  Chairman,  and  Alex- 
ander Brown,  Secretary. 

9th.  The  soil  is  generally  good. 

10th.  All  kinds  of  timber,  black  walnutexcepted. 

llth.  None.     12th.  Limestone  in  great  plenty. 

14th.  Lime  is  burnt  only  in  small  quantities. 

15th.  Blacksmith's  wages,  7|d.  per  Ib.  for  iron. 

16th.  Wages  of  common  labourers,  from  11.  10s. 
to  41.  per  month. 

17th.  Mowing  grass,  and  harvesting,  from  3s.  6d. 
to  7s.  6d.  per  day. 

26th.  On  new  land  the  first  crop  is  wheat,  and 
then  grass.  Fruit  of  almost  all  kinds  common  to 
this  country  grows  here. 

27th.  No  land  is  rented  on  shares. 

28th.  Cleared  land  sells  from  21.  10s.  to  71.  10s. 
per  acre. 

29th.  A  great  quantity  of  land  now  for  sale. 

30th.  Roads  generally  good :  capable  of  im- 
provement. 

31st.  At  the  first  settlement  of  this  township, 
the  land  was  chiefly  granted  to  gentlemen  for  their 
military  services.  The  situation  being  eligible, 
they  hold  it  at  a  high  price,  and  for  want  of  capital, 
few  persons  are  able  to  purchase  it,  which  is  the 

reason  of  its  remaining  uncultivated. 

>/Y 
We  are,  Sir,  with  due  respect, 

Your  most  obedient,  humble  Servants, 
GEO.  CHISHOLM,  Esa.    GEO.  CHISHOLM,  JUN. 
ALEXANDER  BROWN,     JOHN  M'CARTJEY. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  371 


WEST  FLAMBORO'  AND  BEVERLY. 


At  a  numerous  Meeting  of  the  Inhabitants  of  West 
Flamboro'  and  Beverly,  held  in  pursuance  of  a 
Public  Notice,  at  Matthews  s  Tavern,  in  West 
Flamboro',  on  Monday  the  1st  of  December,  1817, 
for  the  Purpose  of  taking  the  Address  of  Mr. 
Robert  Gourlay  into  Consideration,  and  answer* 
ing  the  Queries  by  him  proposed.  At  which 
Richard  Hatt,  Esq.  was  chosen  Chairman,  and 

James  Crooks,  Esq.  Secretary. 

. 

3d.  No  Episcopal  church  or  public  place  of 
worship  in  either  township,  or  any  resident  mi- 
nister, though  we  are  sometimes  visited  by  the 
resident  clergyman  of  Ancaster,  and  by  Methodist 
preachers  regularly  attended  every  Sunday  at  pri- 
vate houses.  The  Tunkers  also  have  divine  ser- 
vice regularly  performed. 

8th.  Two  carding  machines,  charge  6d.  per  Ib. 
One  fulling  mill.  One  oil  mill. 

9th.  The  soil  of  Beverly,  rich  loam,  and  inter- 
vals ;  West  Flamboro'  the  same ;  both  very 
healthy  and  pleasantly  diversified  with  hill  and 
dale ;  are  well  watered  with  spring  streams. 

10th.  White  oak,  red  oak,  pine,  chestnut,  sugar 
maple,  beech,  basswood,  elm,  hickory,  black  wal- 
nut, butternut,  cedar,  cherry,  mulberry,  plums, 
and  crab  apple  trees. 

BBS 


372  GORE    DISTRICT. 

llth.  Salt  springs,  and  indications  of  iron  ore, 
as  yet  but  little  explored.  Plaster  of  Paris  and 
marl  are  found  in  these  townships. 

12th.  Limestone  abounds,  and  some  freestone, 
both  of  very  good  quality  for  building ;  the  ex- 
pence  of  labour  in  quarrying  being  the  only  one. 

16th.  Wages  of  labourers  from  11. 10s.  to  41.  10s. 
per  month. 

24th.  We  generally  sow  one  to  one  and  a  half 
bushel  of  wheat  per  acre,  and  get  in  return  from 
12  to  40  bushels  per  acre  ;  average  crop  about  16 
bushels  per  acre. 

25th.  Quality  of  pasture,  clover,  and  Timothy; 
white  clover  springs  up  naturally  after  clearing. 
Our  young  cattle  and  cows  generally  run  out  till 
after  harvest,  then  we  put  them  into  our  folds. 

26th.  On  new  lands  we  generally  harrow  in 
wheat  first,  then  seed  down  with  grass,  or  plough, 
sow  oats,  or  plant  Indian  corn,  then  pease  and 
wheat  again ;  or  fallowing,  sow  wheat,  then  rye, 
and  a  succession  of  spring  crops.  Very  little  land 
has  yet  been  manured,  and  that  generally  orchards, 
and  ground  for  flax  and  Indian  corn.  Our  orchards 
produce  apples,  pears,  peaches,  nectarines,  apri- 
cots, plums,  and  cherries.  Gooseberries  and 
currants  are  the  natural  productions  of  this  coun- 
try. We  generally  cultivate  our  orchards  in  grain, 
which  produces  us  large  crops ;  such  is  the  genial 
nature  of  our  climate. 

27th.  The  ordinary  mode  of  renting  land  is  on 
shares.  Landlord  furnishes  lands  fenced,  team, 
utensils,  and  half  the  seed ;  for  which  the  tenant 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  373 

returns  half  the  produce  in  the  bushel.  Tenant 
feeds  himself:  or  landlord  furnishes  only  land 
fenced  ;  gets  one-third  in  the  bushel ;  tenant  find- 
ing team,  seed,  utensils,  and  feeds  himself:  lands 
are  always  to  be  obtained  on  these  terms. 

28th.  Wild  lands  at  first  settling,  sold  for  101.  per 
lot  of  200  acres;  and  now  sells  from  10s.  to  ll. 
10s.  and  21.  per  acre.  Cleared  land  sells  from  21. 
to  121.  10s.  per  acre,  according  to  its  situation  and 
advantages.  A  farm  house  may  be  built  of  logs 
for  251. ;  frame  house,  731.  to  2501. ;  a  good  frame 
barn,  1251. 

29th.  Much  land  is  for  sale  in  these  townships, 
and  if  a  good  price  is  offered,  scarcely  any  farmer 
will  refuse  to  sell  his  improved  farm. 

30th.  Our  roads  are  tolerably  good,  and  are  im- 
proving ;  they  are  yet  capable  of  much  improve- 
ment. We  consider  the  water  communication  of 
these  townships  not  much  improvable  by  canalling, 
the  ground  being  too  high.  We  have  at  present  a 
very  flourishing  village,  increasing  fast,  in  West 
Flamboro',  on  the  head  waters  of  Lake  Ontario. 

31st.  The  remainder  of  these  townships,  that  is, 
the  uncultivated  lots,  are  in  the  hands  of  persons  not 
resident  in  the  province,  or  in  the  hands  of  such 
residents  in  Canada,  who  keep  them — asking  high 
prices :  depending  on  the  industry  of  the  inhabi- 
tant settlers  for  making  roads,  and  improving  their 
own  lands,  by  which  means  the  unsettled  lots  be- 
come valuable  enough  in  time  to  bring  the  high 
prices  demanded  for  them.  With  respect  to  the 
province  in  general,  could  some  other  mode  be  de- 


374  GORE    DISTRICT. 

vised,  to  dispose  of  the  vacant  lands  of  the  crown, 
or  part  of  them,  rather  by  selling  them,  than  grant- 
ing them  in  the  present  mode,  it  would,  no  doubt, 
not  only  bring  capital  into  Canada,  to  make  pur- 
chases, but  it  would  also  beget  a  further  interest 
in.  the  purchasers,  to  bring  in  useful  settlers,  as 
well  those  with  property,  as  those  wanted  for 
clearing  the  lands,  and  handicraft  tradesmen.  It 
would  settle  the  country  with  a  yeomanry,  who 
in  times  requiring  soldiers,  would  no  doubt  be 
found  such  as  were  wanted  ;  besides  procuring  a 
fund  to  the  crown  for  its  lands,  which  at  present 
appear  to  produce  little  or  nothing.  Under  such 
policy,  we  think  Canada  would  immediately  shew 
another  face;  and  would,  we  presume,  improve 
full  as  fast  as  we  have  seen  the  country  opposite 
to  us  in  the  United  States;  our  natural  advantages 
being  infinitely  superior  to  those  enjoyed  by  the 
citizens  of  that  country. 

RICHARD  HATT,  Chairman. 
JAMES  CROOKS,  Secretary. 

Names  of  persons  present. 
WILLIAM  HARE,  J.  P.    JOHN  KEAGY,  JUN. 
JAMES  DURAND,  ANDW.  VAN  EVERY, 

JACOB  COCHENOUR,        BARNARD  EMERY, 
JAMES  M'BRYDE,  J.  P.  MOSES  CORNELL, 
CONRADT  COPE,  GAB.  CORNELL, 

HENRY  COPE,  WM.  SHACKELTON, 

WM.  NEVILLS,  BENJAMIN  MARKLE, 

ROSWELL  MATHEWS,      SAMUEL  CORNELL. 
ANDREW  JONES,  H.  LYONS, 

JACOB  NEVILLS,  JOHN  HEAGY. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  375 

NICHOL. 

' 

To  ROBERT  GOURLAY,  ESQ. 

Niagara  Falls,  Nov.  18th,  1817, 

SIR, 

HAVING  seen  in  the  Upper  Canada 

Gazette  your  address  to  the  resident  land-owners  of 
the  province,  and  it  appearing  to  us  that  should 
your  views  of  publishing  a  Statistical  Account  of 
Upper  Canada  be  carried  into  effect,  it  will  be  of 
much  benefit  not  only  to  the  province,  but  also  to 
our  mother  country,  we  therefore  take  upon  our- 
selves to  answer  your  queries  as  far  as  relates  to 
the  township  of  Nichol,  in  the  district  of  Gore, 
we  being  the  proprietors  of  that  township. 

This  township  is  a  part  of  the  tract  of  land 
given  by  Governor-General  Sir  Frederick  Haldi- 
mand  in  1784  to  the  Six  Nation  Indians  who  had 
adhered  to  the  British  standard  in  the  former  Ame- 
rican war,  as  a  residence,  and  in  compensation  for 
the  lands  they  had  left  in  the  United  States.  This 
tract  commences  at  the  mouth  of  the  Grand  river, 
where  it  empties  into  lake  Erie,  and  extends  about 
ninety  miles  up  stream,  being  twelve  miles  deep, 
that  is  six  miles  on  each  side  of  the  river.  This 
extensive  tract  of  country  was  originally  intended 
as  a  residence  for  the  Indians  and  their  posterity, 
as  also  to  serve  them  for  hunting  ground — for 
which  purposes  it  answered  very  well  for  many 
years ;  and  until  the  advancement  of  the  settle- 


376  GORE   DISTRICT. 

ments  of  white  people  on  both  sides  of  this  tract 
drove  away  and  destroyed  the  game  in  such  a 
measure,  that  the  Indians  could  no  longer  subsist 
themselves  by  their  usual  mode  of  hunting  ;  in 
consequence  of  which  the  government  permitted 
the  Indians  to  dispose  of  a  certain  part  of  this  land 
to  individuals  at  as  good  a  price  as  could  begot  for 
it;  the  principal  sum  being  placed  in  the  hands  of 
trustees,  who  annually  pay  the  interest  to  the 
Indians.  About  356,000  acres  were  accordingly 
sold  in  different  parcels,  the  first  part  of  which  is 
at  the  east  side  of  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  is 
about  53,000  acres,  called  the  township  of  Wed- 
derburn  and  Canbury.  The  next  part,  a  parcel  of 
about  94,000  acres,  about  60  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  now  called  the  township  of  Dumfries, 
which  is  12  miles  square,  extending  six  miles  of 
each  side  of  the  river.  The  next  parcel  is  of 
about  the  same  size,  and  immediately  joining  the 
last,  now  called  the  township  of  Waterloo ;  and 
adjoining  this  last,  and  immediately  above,  is  a  tract 
of  about  86,000  acres,  now  called  the  township  of 
Woolwich ;  adjoining  to,  and  immediately  above,  is 
the  township  of  Nichol,  extending  six  miles  on  each 
side  of  the  river  by  nearly  four  miles  up  stream,  con- 
taining about  29,000  acres ;  is  situated  in  about 
34  miles  in  a  north-west  course  from  the  west  end 
of  lake  Ontario,  and  is  about  4-4  miles  distant 
from  the  west  end  of  that  lake  by  the  road  which 
is  at  present  travelled.  This  township  was  granted 
to  Thomas  Clark,  one  of  the  subscribers  by  deed 
from  government,  under  the  great  seal  of  the  pro- 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  377 

vince,  in  April,  1807,  in  which  no  settlement  has 
as  yet  been  attempted,  and  this  owing  to  the  pro- 
prietors, from  their  other  avocations,  not  having 
had  time  to  attend  to  it.  They  are,  however,  now 
taking  steps  to  have  it  laid  out  into  200  acre  lots, 
in  the  course  of  the  ensuing  winter,  the  outside 
lines  being  only  as  yet  marked  out. 

The  soil  of  this  township  is  of  an  excellent 
quality,  as  the  size  and  growth  of  the  trees  indi- 
cate. It  is  a  deep,  black,  sandy  loam,  with  abund- 
ance of  spring  brooks  in  all  directions.  There 
are  no  hills  or  other  very  high  land ;  the  surface 
in  general  level,  with  a  gentle  declivity  towards 
the  river  on  both  sides.  The  prevalent  timber  is 
maple,  elm,  beech,  white  ash,  basswood,  black 
ash,  and  cherry.  The  bottoms  of  the  brooks  are 
gravel;  but  no  building  stones  have  been  noticed, 
excepting  at  the  river,  which  in  the  whole  of  its 
course  through  this  township  is  on  a  limestone 
rock.  The  land  of  this  township  originally  cost 
4s.  per  acre,  and  is  expected,  so  soon  as  laid  out 
into  farm  lots,  to  sell  for  from  two  to  four  dollars, 
according  to  situations.  To  this  township  there  is 
now  a  good  road  from  the  head  of  lake  Ontario 
through  the  townships  of  Flamboro*  West,  Dum- 
fries, Waterloo,  and  part  of  Woolwich,  to  within 
seven  miles  of  its  lowest  boundary,  which  seven 
miles  of  road  is  intended  to  be  made  this  ensuing 
winter.  At  about  half  a  mile  above  the  lower 
boundary  line  of  this  township  are  the  falls  of  the 
Grand  river,  of  about  40  feet  high,  where  the 
river  is  about  60  yards  wide,  and  navigable  for 

1 


378  GORE   DISTRICT. 

boats  or  rafts  from  below  the  falls  to  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  These  falls  are  admirably  situated  for 
mills  or  any  other  machinery,  to  which  purposes  it 
is  expected  they  will  soon  be  applied. 

Having  already  said  what  has  hitherto  retarded 
the  improvement  of  this  township,  we  come  now 
to  say  what,  in  our  opinion,  retards  the  settlement 
of  the  province  in  general,  and  for  which  we  see 
many  reasons;  the  first  of  which  is  the  want  of 
emigration,  which  has  hitherto  been  but  small; 
and  this,  diminished  by  the  difficulties  which  emi- 
grants from  the  United  Kingdom  are  in  general 
subject  to  after  their  arrival  at  Quebec,  a  distance 
of  500  miles  from  hence,  where,  and  at  Montreal, 
and  at  other  places  on  their  way  hither,  there  is  no 
agent  or  person  to  whom  they  can  apply  for  ad- 
vice or  assistance  in  getting  to  York  in  this  pro- 
vince, where  the  land-granting  department  sits. 
The  next  reason  is,  that  when  such  of  the  emi- 
grants as  get  as  far  as  York,  where  also  there  is  no 
agent,  there  is  much  delay  and  difficulty  in  getting 
a  grant  of  any  land,  owing  to  which  causes  many 
get  dissatisfied  even  before  they  reach  this  pro- 
vince, and  go  off  to  the  United  States,  where  they 
purchase  land,  if  able,  at  from  five  to  ten  dollars 
per  acre,  and  get  a  good  title  without  difficulty. 
Those  emigrants  who  persevere  and  dance  attend- 
ance at  York  for  a  length  of  time,  at  last  get  a 
grant  of  100  acres,  upon  paying  £  sterling, 

in  some  remote  and  insulated  situation,  many  miles 
from  any  Christian  inhabitant,  where  he  is  desti- 
tute of  society,  roads,  mills,  and  every  other  com- 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  370 

fort,  which  to  a  European  is  worse  than  Botany 
Bay:     in   consequence  of  which,  many  of  them 
never  settle  upon   their  locations,   which,  by  the 
bye,  are  too  small  for  a  farm,  so  much  of  the  land 
having  to  remain  uncultivated  for  supplying  fuel, 
fencing,    and   building   timber;    and   many  cannot 
undergo  the  fatigue  of  finding  them  out.     Most  of 
those  who  hunt  out  their  lots  being  too  poor  to 
purchase  near  a  settlement,  find  themselves  so  im- 
mersed in  woods  and  wilds,  that  they  often  get  dis- 
couraged, and  leave  their  habitations,  if  able,  hav- 
ing little  prospect  of  ever  getting  neighbours  to 
assist  them  in   making   roads,   bridges,   mills,  and 
other   public   works,    owing   to   50  much   of   the 
adjoining    lands   being    reserved    for    the    crown, 
clergy,    and   other  purposes,  and   by    large   tracts 
being   given  to   non-residents   for  favour  or  past 
services,   who  have  no  idea  of  settling  the  land, 
but  of  disposing  of  it  when  the  labour  of  a  few 
adjoining   individuals    may    have    made    it    more 
valuable ;  and  we  have  further  to  remark  as  our 
opinion,    that    this    province   even    in    its    oldest 
settled   townships    is  by  far  too    thinly   peopled, 
owing  to  these  reserves  and  grants  to  non-residents  ; 
and  this   was  severely  felt   during   the   late  war, 
when  provisions  and  transport  could  not  be  had  for 
the  king's  troops  ;  besides  this,  our  neighbours  the 
Americans  were  perfectly  aware  of  the  situation 
of  the  country,    having  furnished  many  of  their 
regiments  who    invaded  the  province   with  maps 
of  the  different  townships,  specifying  the  reserved 
and  vacant  lots  which  were  promised  to  the  Ameri- 


880  GORE    DISTRICT. 

can   soldiery  as   a  bounty,   if  they  conquered  the 
country. 

We  next  think  that  it  would  tend  much  to  the 
improvement  of  this  province,  were  all  the  town- 
ships already  surveyed  to  be  filled  up  with  actual 
settlers  previous  to  any  more  remote  lands  being 
laid  out  for  location,  which  would  form  a  compact 
and  strong  colony,  at  present  there  not  being  one- 
twentieth  part  of  the  land  settled  that  is  laid  out 
into  townships. 

We  have  further  to  remark,  that  we  think  it 
would  be  of  much  benefit  to  the  province,  as  also 
a  relief  to  the  mother  country,  were  all  the  un- 
granted  lands  in  the  already  surveyed  townships 
sold  at  a  moderate  price  per  acre ;  when  emigrants 
and  others  could  select  soil,  situation,  and  neigh- 
bours, to  their  mind,  for  which  they  would  far 
rather  pay  than  go  to  the  wilderness  by  lottery : 
the  fund  thereby  raised  could  be  well  applied  to 
the  improvement  of  the  internal  navigation  of  the 
province  and  other  public  purposes,  as  also  help 
to  relieve  many  of  the  claimants  who  suffered 
losses  during  the  late  war. 

It  is  a  general  idea,  that  a  less  sum  than  was 
expended  in  building  ships  of  war  on  lake  Onta- 
rio, during  the  late  war,  would  have  made  a 
canal  to  have  brought  sloops  of  war  and  small 
frigates  into  that  lake  from  the  sea. 

Many  well-informed  people  of  this  province 
|hink  that  the  door  being  shut  at  the  end  of  the  late 
war  against  emigration  hither  from  the  United 
States  was  of  much  injury  to  the  improvement 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  381 

of  the  country.  On  this  head  we  decline  giving 
our  opinion  ;  but  think  that  many  valuable  set- 
tlers would  have  been  obtained  from  the  United 
States,  had  these  been  admitted  under  proper  re- 
strictions. 

This  province,  if  properly  peopled,  under  good 
laws  well  administered,  will  defend  itself  against 
any  invasion,  and  its  trade  be  of  much  benefit  to 
Great  Britain :  if  settled  in  its  present  thin  and 
scattered  state,  its  trade  can  be  of  little  conse- 
quence, and  the  country  must  fall  a  prey  to  its  first 
invader. 

May  your  laudable  exertions,  in  traversing  this 
province  to  collect  information,  be  the  means  of 
making  this  country  better  known  in  Britain,  and 
of  procuring  from  thence  some  of  its  redundant 
population,  so  much  wanted  in  this  colony. 

We  have  the  honour  to  be, 

Sir, 
Your  very  obedient  Servants, 

THOMAS  CLARK, 
ROBERT  ADDISON, 

For  Self  and  ROBERT  NICHOL,  Esq. 

' 


382  GORE   DISTRICT. 

WATERLOO. 

By  the  undersigned  Gentlemen,  respectable  Inhabi- 
tants of  said  Township,  at  a  Meeting  convened  for 

that  Purpose. 

3d.  No  churches,  two  Tunkers  and  Menonists 
preachers  (the  people  are  principally  Germans). 

8th.  Carding  wool  6|d.  per  pound. 

9th.  Sand,  loam,  and  clay,  good  and  productive; 
generally  level  and  well  watered. 

10th.  Pine,  oak,  sugar  maple,  beech,  cherry, 
cypress,  &c. 

llth.  None  discovered,  but  many  signs  of  iron  ; 
limestone  in  great  quantities.  Signs  of  plaster ; 
indications  of  salt  springs  :  no  remarkable  springs. 

12th.  Building  stones  in  great  plenty  :  no  price. 

20th.  Township  produces  3000  pounds  of  wool 
per  annum ;  2s.  6d.  per  pound. 

26th.  The  general  rule  is,  if  a  man  clears  wild 
land,  he  has  the  first  year's  produce.  Cropping  on 
cultivated  land,  a  man  gets  half,  and  finds  himself. 

27th.  The  same  as  above  ;  extent  very  great. 

30th.  Roads  very  bad,  but  capable  of  great  im- 
provement: will  require  great  expence. 
3/.  What  hinders  the  improvement  of  the  township, 
is,  bad  roads,  want  of  men  and  money.  Respect- 
ing water  conveyance  ;  the  beautiful  Grand  river 
running  nearly  through  the  middle  of  the  township, 
affords  a  most  fascinating  prospect  to  adventure. 
Capitalists  might  hereafter  form  a  canal,  the  whole 
extent  of  the  river. 

JOSEPH  LOCKWOOD.        JACOB  ERB. 
JAMES  VAN  EVERY.          ABRAHAM  ERB, 

And  seven  others. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  883 

DUMFRIES. 

SIR, 

INCLOSED  I  send  you  an  account  of  the  pro- 
gress of  the  settlement  of  the  township  of  Dum- 
fries*, with  answers  to  a  few  of  your  queries.  The 
remainder,  no  doubt,  will  be  answered  by  persons 
longer  resident  in  the  country,  who  are  more  ade- 
quate to  the  task. 

9th.  The  soil  in  general  is  loam  ;  very  little  clay 
to  be  found  in  the  township. 

10th.  The  kinds  of  timber  are,  oak,  hard  maple, 
beech,  basswood,  elm,  and  cherry  in  some  parts  of 
the  township.  Others  are  chestnut,  cedar,  and  pine, 
with  considerable  of  the  before  mentioned  kinds 
intermixed.  Limestone  in  abundance. 

1 1th.  One  bed  of  plaster  has  been  discovered  in, 
Dumfries,  and  proves  to  be  the  best  kind  for  cement- 
ing; also  for  manure,  none  is  superior.  One  ton, 
when  ground,  will  make  from  26  to  28  bushels  ;  one 
bushel  is  sufficient  for  an  acre.  It  is  known  by 
experience,  that  on  clover,  wheat,  oats,  or  pota- 
toes, it  will  bring  -f-  more  than  the  land  without 
plaster;  it  can  be  had  for  30s.  per  ton  at  the  quarry. 

31st.  As  respects  the  progress  of  the  settlement  of 
the  country,  in  my  opinion  many  things  combine 
to  retard  it.  In  the  first  place,  there  is  certain 
quantities  of  land  in  each  township,  called  crown 
and  clergy  reserves,  nearly  one-fourth.  Combined 
with  that,  there  are  many  gentlemen  owning  large 
tracts  of  land  unsettled.  This  causes  the  settle- 

*  See  Table,  page  404. 


384  GORE    DISTRICT. 

ments  in  Canada  to  be  very  much  scattered,  in  con- 
sequence of  which,  little  work  is  done  on  the 
roads,  and  in  some  parts  where  a  trifling  labour 
would  make  it  good.  Could  some  plan  be  formed, 
to  settle  the  country  more  compact,  and  also  to 
make  good  roads  through  such  lands  as  are  the 
property  of  gentlemen  at  home,  not  wishing  to 
sell  them,  would,  in  my  opinion,  add  much  to  the 
progress  of  the  settlements. 

There  also  is  a  want  of  enterprise.  The  minds 
of  the  people  want  rousing  up  :  they  only  want  to 
be  made  sensible  that  their  country  possesses  as 
many  (if  not  more)  natural  advantages  than  any 
part  of  North  America. 

The  soil  is  good,  and  the  means  of  conveyance 
to  market,  connecting  sleighing  and  water  carriage, 
is  easy.  The  only  necessary  requisite  is  industry 
and  enterprise. 

Your's  truly, 

ABSALOM  SHADE, 
Mr.  ROBERT  GOURLAY, 
Queenston. 


HALDIMAND. 

/• 

At  a  Meeting  of  the  principal  Inhabitants  of  the 
Township  of  Haldimand,  in  the  County  of 
Wentworth>  and  District  of  Gore,  in  the  Province 
of  Upper  Canada,,  including  the  Chiefs  of  the 
Five  Nations  of  Indl&ns,  held  at  the  House  of 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  385 

Frederick  Yeoward,  Merchant,  in  Mount  Plea- 
sant, in  said  Township,  on  Thursday ,the~llth  of 
December,  1817,  for  the  Purpose  of  taking  into 
Consideration  the  Queries  proposed  by  Robert 
Gourlay,  Esq.  and  of  giving  Answers  thereto, 
to  enable  him  to  prepare  a  Statistical  Account  of 
Upper  Canada. — F.  Yeoward  being  called  to  the 
Chair,  the  following  were  adopted  as  Answers  to 
the  Queries  proposed,  and  were  directed  to  be  for- 
warded by  the  Chairman,  to  the  said  Robert 
Gourlay,  Esq.  viz. 

1st.  Haldimand — its  length  is  estimated  at  about 
twenty  miles,  commencing  at  Dundas  street,  and 
its  breadth  twelve  miles,  that  is,  according  to  the 
original  grant,  extending  six  miles  from  each  side 
of  the  Grand  river,  or  river  Ouse. 

2d.  Settled  in  the  year  1783,  by  Captain  Joseph 
Brant,  with  the  Five  Nations*  of  Indians,  and  a  few 
volunteer  white  people.  The  population  of  the 
white  inhabitants  is  supposed  to  be  430  ;  people  of 
colour  30,  and  the  number  of  the  whole  of  the 
Five  Nations  about  1800,  residing  on  the  Grand 
river;  the  number  of  inhabited  houses  supposed 
to  be  sixty,  exclusive  of  Indian  dwellings. 

3d.  One  established  church,  with  a  clergyman 
attending  occasionally. 

8th.  The  price  of  boards,  for  100  feet,  one  inch 
stuff,  3s.  9d.  ;  one  carding  machine  ;  rate  of  card- 
ing wool,  5d.  per  Ib,  ;  one  fulling  mill. 

*  They  were  originally  the  Five  Nations  ;  now  they  are  pro- 
perly  the  Six  Nations,  and  should  be  so  denominated,  having 
adopted  a  sixth  tribe  or  nation.— -R.  G.  » 

c  c 


386  GORE    DISTRICT. 

9th.  The  land  is  composed  of  a  variety  of  soil, 
generally  of  sandy  loam,  and  much  very  fertile. 

10th.  The  kinds  of  timber  are  various,  and  consist 
of  white  oak,  white  pine,  sugar  maple,  beech, 
black  oak,  red  oak,  elm,  basswood,  ash,  butter- 
nut, or  white  walnut,  hickory,  wild  cherry,  black 
walnut,  chestnut. 

1 1  th.  Plaster  of  Paris  in  abundance,  and  of  a  good 
quality  ;  also  salt  springs,  equal  to  those  of  Onan- 
dagua,  and  which,  if  worked,  would  supply  the 
upper  part  of  the  province  at  about  17s.  6d.  per 
barrel.  Limestone  in  considerable  quantities. 

12th.  No  building  stones  have  as  yet  been  dis- 
covered. 

15th.  Wages  of  blacksmiths,  for  the  working  of 
iron  for  husbandry  uses,  are  7|d.  per  Ib. 

18th.  The  cost  of  clearing  and  fencing  5  acres  of 
woodland,  per  contract,  is  estimated  at  151. ;  but 
great  part  of  this  township  consists  of  plane  lands, 
the  expence  of  clearing  and  fencing  which  is 
trifling,  and  estimated  at  71.  10s. ;  board  not  in- 
cluded. 

26th.  New  lands  are  generally  put  in  with  winter 
wheat,  and  seeded  down  with  Timothy  and  clover, 
in  which  they  will  continue  from  3  to 5  years;  and 
when  broken  up  again,  will  produce  either  wheat, 
rye,  or  oats  ;  but  are  usually  put  in  with  wheat. 
The  usual  way  of  putting  in  grain  on  the  plains,  is 
by  ploughing  and  harrowing,  and  on  timbered  lands 
the  first  crops  are  only  harrowed  in. 

27th.  Land  cultivated  on  shares,  is  generally  let 
for  one-third  of  the  produce  of  grain  and  hay.  The 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  387 

grain  for  seed,  and  team,  and  all  expences  of  ma- 
nagement, are  usually  found  and  paid  by  the  tenants. 
In  this  township,  not  much  land  let  on  shares. 

28th.  The  land  within  this  township  is  granted  by 
government  to  the  Five  Nations  of  Indians;  some 
part  of  the  same  being  leased  by  their  late  agent, 
Captain  Joseph  Brant,  to  the  present  white 
settlers,  for  the  term  of  999  years,  at  7s.  6d.  per 
acre,  for  the  whole  of  that  period. 

29th.  No  land  for  sale,  but  leases  for  21  years 
may  yet  be  obtained  from  the  Indians,  on  very 
moderate  terms. 

30th.  State  of  roads  is  generally  good,  but  capa- 
ble of  improvement,  at  a  small  expence.  The 
Grand  river,  or  Ouse,  is  at  present  navigable  for 
rafts  for  a  considerable  distance  above  this  town- 
ship, down  to  its  confluence  with  lake  Erie,  and 
a  great  part  of  this  extent  may  be  navigated  with 
boats  and  vessels  of  considerable  burden  ;  which 
water  conveyance  might  be  much  further  obtained, 
extended  and  improved  by  widening  and  deepening 
the  river  in  certain  places. 

31st.  The  Indians  possessing  the  fee  of  the  town- 
ship, as  tenants  in-tail  only  (and  not  in  fee  simple) 
prevents  them  from  alienating  lands,  and  of  con- 
sequence, retards  its  improvement. 

Signed,  in  behalf  of  the  Meeting,  by 

FREDERICK  YEOWARD. 


c  c  2 


388  GORE    DISTRICT. 


ill    'LLi^Ll'-  >T   !' 

ANCASTER. 

.-  .ijjrig  no  36 
vd  I)  __  'fiJi//[Hi 

29th  November,  1817. 
Ui;«    OJlJ  Ipllfiq 

a  Meeting  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Township  of 
Ancaster,  convened  by  public  Notice,  at  Newton  s 
Hotel,  in  the  Village  of  Ancaster,  this  Day, 
James  Dur  and,  Esq.  Member  for  the  County  of 
Wentworth,  was  called  to  the  Chair,  and  Mr. 
John  Wilson,  of  Ancaster,  chosen  Secretary.  Mffl 


Resolved,  —  That  this  meeting  do  highly  approve 
of  the  plan  proposed  by  Mr.  Robert  Gourlay,  of 
publishing  a  Statistical  Account  of  this  Province, 
and  most  cordially  agree  with  him  on  the  subject 
matter  of  his  address  to  the  resident  land  owners 
of  Upper  Canada  ;  the  remarks  contained  in  which, 
as  far  as  they  respect  the  resources  of  the  county, 
being,  to  their  knowledge,  from  actual  experience, 
correct,  and  capable  of  realization,  by  all  who 
possess  the  qualification  of  industry,  and  the  means 
for  making  the  experiment. 

SECONDLY. 

Resolved,  —  That  the  inhabitants  of  this  town- 
ship would  rejoice  in  the  opportunity  of  receiving 
into  their  society,  a  respectable  emigration  of  their 
fellow  subjects  from  the  mother  country,  and  in 
furtherance  of  that  object,  and  with  a  sincere  de- 
sire of  disseminating  an  accurate  account  of  the 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  389 

country  and  its  productions,  do  now  proceed  to 
reply  to  the  queries  of  Mr.  Gourlay,  in  the  order 
they  are  proposed  by  him. 

3d.  No  Episcopal  church  ;  one  Methodist  meet- 
ing house  ;  one  resident  episcopal  minister. 

8th.  One  carding  machine  ;  charge  6d.  per  Ib. ; 
one  fulling  mill. 

9th.  The  soil,  a  sandy  loam,  in  part;  rich  in- 
terval in  part,  and  some  clay  loam.  The  face  of 
the  township  is  pleasantly  diversified  with  hill  and 
dale,  and  some  plains. 

10th.  Timber — White  oak,  white  pine,  red 
and  black  oak,  chestnut,  beech,  sugar  maple, 
black  ash,  white  ash,  elm,  bass  wood  or  lin- 
den, hickory,  butternut,  birch,  ironwood,  sas- 
safrass,  dogwood,  black  walnut,  cherry,  swamp 
oak,  aspin  tree,  soft  maple,  hemlock,  tamarack, 
tamarisk,  or  turmerick,  balm  of  Gilead,  button- 
wood,  cedar,  willow,  black  and  white  thorn,  crab- 
tree  and  wild  plum  ;  also  various  kinds  of  shrubs 
and  vines,  among  which  are  black  and  spotted 
alder,  boortree  or  elder,  sumach,  hazel,  sloe,  black- 
berry, dewberry,  gooseberry,  brown  and  red  rasp- 
berry, wild  currant,  whortleberry,  mountainberry, 
tall  cranberry,  choke  cherry,  blue  grape,  bitter, 
sweet,  strawberry,  &c. 

llth.  Salt  springs — One  chalybeate  spring: 
strong  indications  of  iron,  and  some  trifling  in- 
dications of  lead  ;  but  none  of  these  have  been 
explored, 

12th.  Limestone  and  freestone,  both  of  excellent 


390  GORE    DISTRICT. 

quality,  and  in  great  abundance  ;  price  2|   dollars 
per  toise  at  the  quarry. 

16th.  Wages — Labourers,  from  11.  10s.  to  4-1. 10s. 
per  month. 

24th.  Sown  on  new  land  i  to  1J,  on  old  land 
J  to  1 1,  and  reap  from  12  to  20  bushels  per  acre : — 
16  bushels  per  acre  considered  an  average  crop. 

26th.  On  new  lands,  generally  harrow  in  wheat 
first,  then  seed  down  to  grass,  or  plough  and  sow 
oats,  or  plant  maize  or  Indian  corn,  then  pease,  then 
wheat,  or  fallow  sowing  wheat,  then  rye,  then  a 
succession  of  spring  crops. 

Very  little  land  has  as  yet  been  manured,  and 
when  manure  is  used,  it  is  chiefly  for  flax  and  In- 
dian corn. 

27th.  The  usual  mode  of  letting  land,  is  on 
shares.  The  landlord  furnishes  land  fenced,  team, 
and  half  the  seed,  and  receives  half  the  produce, 
tenant  finding  himself;  or  landlord  furnishes  land 
fenced,  and  receives  one  third,  the  tenant  finding 
team,  and  every  thing  else  ;  farms  are  almost  always 
to  be  obtained  at  these  lays. 

28th.  Wild  lands,  at  the  first  settling  of  this 
township,  sold  at  61.  6s.  per  lot  of  '200  acres ;  now 
sells  at  12s.  6d.  to  11.  10s.  and  51.  per  acre. 
Cleared  lands  sell  from  21.  10s.  to  121.  10s.  per 
acre,  according  to  the  situation  and  advantages. 
A  tolerable  farm  house  may  be  built  at  1251.  to 
2501. ;  a  good  frame  barn  at  1251. 

29th.  Any  lands,  and  in  fact,  all  lands  in  this 
township,  may  be  purchased  ;  it  consists  of  about 
200  lots. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  391 

30th.  State  of  public  roads — middling;  maybe 
very  much  improved  by  the  statute  labour  of  the 
inhabitants  as  imposed  by  law,  if  honestly  ap- 
plied. 

31st.  Want  of  capital  and  enterprise,  are  doubt- 
less the  greatest  causes  that  have  contributed  to 
retard  the  improvement  of  this  township.  The 
former  has  of  late  years  made  small  efforts,  accom- 
panied by  the  latter,  and  the  consequences  may  be 
seen  in  neat  villages  rising,  where  a  few  scat- 
tered cottages  were  before  only  to  be  found.  To- 
gether with  grist  and  saw  mills,  carding  machines, 
fulling  mills,  merchants' stores,  sadlers'  shops,  tin 
shops,  hatters'  shops,  shoemakers'  shops,  tailors' 
shops,  joiners' shops,  and  other  mechanical  branches, 
all  of  which  find  full  employ,  and  buildings  are 
continually  erecting  with  the  profits  of  the  farmers 
toils. 

A  reply  to  the  latter  part  of  the  31st  query,  as 
to  what  in  our  opinion,  retards  the  improvement  of 
the  province  in  general,  would  be  more  lengthy 
than  the  nature  of  this  meeting  admits  of, 
were  the  subject  done  justice  to.  Briefly,  how- 
ever, want  of  capital  and  enterprise  may  be  again 
considered  as  having  a  large  share  in  it ;  for  what 
besides,  you  would  say,  with  a  climate  and  soil  so 
fine,  and  laws  so  excellent,  could  intervene  to 
check  its  progress  ?  There  are,  however,  other 
causes,  and  those  causes  out  of  our  power  to  con- 
troul,  even  with  the  aid  of  legislative  interference. 
It  is  our  gracious  Sovereign,  and  the  Parliament 
of  the  United  Kingdom,  that  can  alone  lay  the 


392  GORE   DISTRICT. 

axe  to  the  root  of  these  obstructions  ;  but  without 
the  slightest  feeling  of  murmur,  or  idea  of  right 
to  dictate,  we  think  it  our  duty  to  point  out  the 
road  to  their  removal. 

A  large  portion  of  the  province,  equal  in  every 
respect,  in  point  of  quality,  to  the  granted  lands, 
still  lays  locked  up  in  the  shape  of  Crown  and 
Clergy  reserves,  in  almost  every  township,  com- 
monly two-sevenths  of  the  township,  and  these 
interspersed  as  a  caput  mortuum  amidst  the  settle- 
ments, tend  largely  to  check  the  improvement  of 
roads,  added  to  the  extensive  tracts  of  land  for- 
merly granted  to  individuals,  many  of  whom  re- 
side across  the  Atlantic,  and  contribute  nothing  to 
the  means  of  the  province.  Besides  these,  there 
are  whole  townships  shut  up,  as  reserves  for 
schools,  and  beautiful  tracts  of  first  rate  lands, 
of  almost  immeasurable  extent,  immediately  in 
rear  of  all  the  settlements,  remain  in  a  desert 
state. 

Occasionally,  a  township  is  surveyed  ofT,  and 
given  out.  This  important  gift  and  patronage,  is 
vested  in  the  hands  of  the  Administrator  for  the 
time  being,'  and  the  Executive  Council, — is  acted 
upon  with  a  slow  motion,  producing  little  manifest 
improvement  to  the  province, — no  visible  invitation 
to  men  of  capital, — yielding  no  benefit  to  the 
mother  country,  or  restitution  of  her  great  ex- 
pences  here:  whereas,  the  reverse  would  be  the 
undoubted  result,  were  these  tracts  settled  ;  whilst, 
at  present,  they  operate  as  a  dark  and  shady  cloud, 
keeping  off  the  genial  rays  of  the  sun,  and  now 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  393 

and  then  affording  only  a  trifling  emolument,  as 
fees,  to  a  few  individuals,  instead  of  the  abundant 
harvests  of  the  necessaries  of  life. 

To  remedy  these  obstructions  (or  shall  we  call 
them  evils)  to  the  improvement  of  the  province, 
all  that  is  wanting  is,  for  the  Crown  to  dispose  of 
those  lands,  impartially,  to  the  highest  bidder,  that 
they  may  be  immediately  settled,  without  waiting 
the  tardy  movements  of  a  land-granting  depart- 
ment :  then,  indeed,  there  would  be  room  for  the 
redundant  population  of  Great  Britain,  an  ample 
field  for  capitalists,  and  the  exercise  of  enterprising 
spirits,  and  an  opening  to  cement  upon  a  large 
scale  that  connexion  with  the  mother  country, 
which  (to  use  your  own  words)  '  Would  cause 
the  idea  of  invasion  to  wither  before  its  strength/ 
The  munificent  bounty  of  the  Crown  might  still 
be  employed  in  Canada,  in  making  roads,  im- 
proving the  navigation^  and  other  projects  to 
which  the  geographical  figure  of  Canada  offers 
every  invitation,  jnrg 
(Signed) 

JAMES  DURAND,  Chairman. 

JOHN  WILSON,  Secretary. 
RICHARD  HATT,          JOSEPH  HOUSE, 
WM.  RYMAL,  JOHN  AIRMAN, 

CHRIST.  ALMOS,  DANIEL  SHOWERS,  ><M 

JACOB  RYMAL,  WILLIAM  CLINTON. 

ELIJAH  SECORD,         PETERBAWTINHEYMER, 
MATTHEW  CROOKS,    LOT  TISDALE, 
PETER  HOGEBOOM,     WM.  TISDALE, 
CONRADT  FILMAN,      And  sixty-eight  others. 

1 


394  GORE    DISTRICT. 

BARTON. 

At  a  Meeting  of  a  Number  of  respectable  Free- 
holders, convened  at  the  House  of  Samuel  Price, 
Innkeeper,  in  the  Town  of  Hamilton,  District 
of  Gore,  on  Wednesday  the  \lth  Day  of  Decem- 
ber, 1817,  for  the  Purpose  of  taking  into  Con- 
sideration the  Queries  offered  to  the  Public  by 
Robert  Gourlay,  Esq.  relative  to  the  Agricultural 
Interest  of  the  Province,  Richard  Beasley,  Esq. 
was  chosen  Chairman,  and  William  B.  Peters, 
Esq.  Secretary  to  the  said  Meeting. 

,VTI  *  rf      rlt  iftiv 

9th.  Under  the  mountain  from  the  front  to  the 
third  concession  almost  altogether  a  sandy  soil. 
On  the  mountain  generally  clay,  with  a  slight  mix- 
ture of  loam. 

10th.  White  oak,  black  oak,  and  pine,  maple, 
hickory,  beech,  dry  ash,  black  walnut,  close  under, 
and  on  the  top  of  the  mountain. 

llth.  Coal,  none.  What  is  called  the  mountain, 
composed  of  limestone,  with  a  very  little  freestone, 
runs  lengthways  through  the  township;  the  breadth 
of  limestone  is  If  miles;  one  salt  spring,  yielding 
a  trifling  profit. 

12th.  Generally  limestone,  with  a  little  free- 
stone, at  10s.  per  toise. 

24th.  One  bushel  per  acre,  and  25  to  -30  bushels 
on  new  land  ;  and  on  old,  cultivated  land,  from  16 
to  20. 

25th.  About  lOOlb. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  395 

126th.  Wheat  first,  then  grass  three  years,  then 
wheat  to  spring  grain.  Manure  potatoes,  Indian 
corn,  pease. 

27th.  About  2000  acres.  If  landlord  furnish 
every  thing  for  the  use  of  the  farm,  he  receives  two- 
thirds  of  the  product.  In  1792  land  sold  at  l/>d. 
per  acre;  in  J800,  5s.;  in  1806,  15s.;  in  1810, 
11,  10s. ;  in  1817,  about  21.  10s.  On  an  average, 
about  51.  per  acre  for  an  improved  farm  of  200 
acres,  with  small  frame,  or  log-house  and  barn,  and 
other  outhouses.  Improved  farms  have  sold  from 
61.  5s.  to  71.  10s.  per  acre. 

30th.  Tolerably  good,  and  capable  of  much  im- 
provement at  a  moderate  expence. 

31st.  The  want  of  a  cut  through  the  beach  to 
the  lake  Ontario.  This  concerns  the  district,  and 
the  upper  part  of  the.  province  materially,  inas- 
much as  a  safe  and  commodious  harbour  would 
then  be  found  in  the  heart  of  the  country,  of 
much  importance  to  the  government  in  time  of 
war,  as  it  would  lead  to  a  safe  communication 
across  the  peninsula  to  lake  Erie.  As  to  the 
causes  which  have  retarded,  and  do  retard,  the  im- 
provement of  the  province  in  general,  among  the 
most  prominent  may  be  enumerated : 

1st.  The  want  of  capital,  which  the  establish- 
ment of  a  banking  system  would,  it  is  conceived, 
in  a  great  degree  supply;  and  individual  enterprise, 
which  would  be  also  much  encouraged  by  such  an 
establishment. 

2d.  Large  quantities  of  wild  land,  the  property 
of  absentees,  not  subject  to  taxation. 


LORE    DISTRICT. 

3d.  The  want  of  a  liberal  and  indiscriminate  en- 
couragement to  emigration,  by  the  government  of 
the  province,  more  particularly  the  exclusion  of 
American  settlors  since  the  late  war,  which  has  de- 
prived the  country  of  much  wealth,  which  numer- 
ous valuable  settlers  would  have  introduced,  arid 
still  would  continue  to  introduce,  were  such  re- 
straint removed. 

4th.  The  wild  lands  of  the  crown  intermixed 
with  the  settlements  throughout  the  province,  com- 
monly called  crown  reserves,  lying  in  the  unim- 
proved state  they  are,  would,  were  they  sold  at 
auction  by  the  government,  not  only  produce  large 
sums  of  money,  which  could  be  applied  to  useful 
purposes,  but  tend  essentially  to  improve  every 
part  of  the  province. 

RICHARD  BEASLEY,  Chairman. 
W.  B.  PETERS,  Secretary. 


SALTFLEET. 


10th  Dec.  1817. 

A  MEETING  of  the  inhabitants,  house- 
holders of  the  aforesaid  township,  this  day,  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  into  consideration  your  queries, 
as  published  in  the  Spectator,  and  the  following 
are  the  answers,  and  are  numbered  agreeable  to  the 
number  of  queries. 

There  is  attached  to  this  township  a  long  sandy 
beach,  of  at  least  5£  miles,  which  divides  between 
Burlington  bay  and  the  hike,  of  from  one  to  four 
hundred  yards  in  breadth,  and  has  every  appear- 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  397 

ance  of  being  thrown  up  by  the  surf  of  the  lake, 
and  forming  an  excellent  highway. 

«5d.  There  is  one  house  for  religious  worship, 
built  by  the  Methodist  society,  but  almost  ruined 
by  the  late  war,  and  Ins  not  been  repaired  since. 
The  people  are  of  various  denominations,  but  the 
Methodists  are  the  most  numerous,  and  are  regular- 
ly supplied  by  itinerant  and  local  preachers.  The 
itinerant  preachers  are  two  in  number ;  and  here 
justice  demands  of  us  to  say,  that  much  is  du.e  to 
this  succession  of  itinerant  Methodist  preachers,  for 
the  good  morals,  and  steady  habits  that  are  ob- 
servable, with  so  few  exceptions,  throughout  this 
township  ;  and  there  has  never  been  one  of  any 
other  denomination  resident  therein. 

4th.  There  is  not  a  doctor  in  the  town,  and 
generally  but  little  for  them  to  do. 

9th.  The  soil  is  various;  in  some  parts  sandy; 
in  others  clay,  and  in  others  a  sand  and  clay  loam, 
which  seems  to  abound  most,  and  the  whole  is 
natural  to  grass  ;  but  produces  excellent  crops  of 
wheat,  rye,  oats,  and  Indian  corn,  when  well  put  in. 
The  surface  is  generally  level,  from  the  lake  to  the 
mountain,  which  is  from  two  to  three  miles. 

10th.  The  whole  of  this  township  was  covered 
with  a  heavy  growth  of  pine,  oak,  maple,  hickory, 
ash,  linden,  elm,  and  black  walnut  timber. 

llth.  There  has  no  ore  as  yet  been  discovered, 
but  in  several  places  along  the  mountain,  there  are 
springs  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur;  and 
sulphur  in  entire  lumps,  as  large  as  a  pint  measure, 
and  in  large  quantities,  and  so  pure  as  to  answer 
various  purposes,  equal  to  the  most  refined  roll 


898  GORE    DISTRICT. 

brimstone.  Two  salt  springs  have  also  been  dis- 
covered on  the  western  side  of  the  township, 
which  have  been  worked  for  several  years  to  con- 
siderable advantage,  particularly  during  the  late 
war ;  but  being  supplied  at  a  cheaper  rate  from  the 
United  States,  they  are  now  neglected.  Lime- 
stone in  large  quantities. 

12th.  Excellent  building  stone,  and  inexhaust- 
ible quantities  ;  but  from  the  liberality  of  the 
owners,  we  have  not  heard  of  any  being  sold. 

15th.  The  piece  work  of  a  blacksmith,  rates 
nearty  as  follows:  fora  good  chopping  axe,  12s.  6d.; 
for  a  corn  or  garden  hoe,  6s. ;  for  shoeing  a  horse, 
8s.  9d.;  for  sharping  plough  irons,  Is. ;  for  making 
ox,  or  log  chains,  Is.  per  pound. 

17th.  Price  of  mowing  grass  for  hay  3s.  9d. 
per  day. 

2v5th,  The  pasture  is  mostly  white  clover  and 
Timothy  grass,  with  considerable  quantities  of 
spear  and  blue  grass,  and  some  others  of  less  note  ; 
but  the  former  is  the  most  esteemed  for  feeding 
cattle.  Cows  pastured  on  Timothy  and  clover 
grass,  will  yield  the  greatest  quantity  of  milk,  and 
is  always  rich  and  pleasant.  Considerable  quanti- 
ties of  butter  are  made  for  the  market,  and  of  a 
quality  probably  not  exceeded  in  the  province, 
and  which  now  fetches  Is.  3d.  per  Ib.  Cheese  is 
made,  but  in  less  quantities,  and  generally  finds  a 
ready  market,  at  lOd.  per  pound. 

26th.  The  common  method  of  treating  new  land 
is  to  sow  a  crop  of  wheat  in  the  autumn,  without 
ploughing  (which  would  be  neither  necessary  nor 
practicable,  as  in  a  state  of  nature  there  is  neither 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  399 

grass  nor  weeds  to  prevent  the  growth  of  grain, 
for  the  first  season  after  clearing  away  the  tim- 
ber), and  in  the  spring  following  sow  Timothy 
or  clover  seed,  which  produces  pasture  after  har- 
vest, and  for  seven,  eight,  or  ten  succeeding  years 
makes  excellent  meadow :  after  which  time  the 
roots  of  the  timber  being  sufficiently  rotted,  it 
may  be  turned  over  with  the  plough  ;  and  many 
have  raised  large  crops  of  wheat  (and  which  sel- 
dom fails),  by  sowing  and  harrowing  in  the  seed 
with  one  ploughing  only  ;  but  the  land  may  be 
worked  five  or  six  years  successively  to  advantage, 
after  breaking  up  the  sod,  and  will  need  no  manure ; 
after  which,  to  produce  good  crops  of  wheat,  flax, 
Indian  corn,  or  potatoes,  it  will  require  manure  ; 
but  by  laying  the  land  down  to  grass  for  three  or 
four  years  (it  being  so  natural  thereto),  will  re- 
cover its  strength  without  any  manure. 

27th.  But  little  land  has  hitherto  been  let  on 
shares,  as  from  the  cheapness  of  land  every  indus- 
trious and  prudent  man  can,  and  does,  in  a  short 
time,  become  the  proprietor  of  land.  But  in  the 
instances  where  lands  that  are  improved  have  been 
worked  to  the  shares,  the  tenant,  when  finding 
all  but  the  land,  returns  the  landlord  one-third  of 
the  products :  and  where  the  landlord  finds  team, 
wear  and  tear,  and  two-thirds  of  the  seed,  and 
gathers  in  one-half,  he  draws  two-thirds  of  the 
products,  and  the  tenant  one-third. 

28th.  The  price  of  land  in  this  township,  at  the 
first  settlement  thereof,  rated  so  low  as  to  make  it 
no  object  with  many.  A  lot  of  100  acres  might 


400  GORE    DISTRICT. 

be  purchased  for  5\.  or  61.  5s.,  and  large  quantities 
were  actually  bought  and  sold  at  these  prices  ;  it  has 
gradually  rose  from  that  time  to  the  year  1812, 
since  which  time  it  seems  stationary  for  want  of 
purchasers.  But  the  average  price  of  wild  land 
may  be  rated  at  ll.  3s.  per  acre.  A  farm  of  about 
300  acres  of  land,  one-third  of  which  cleared,  and 
a  comfortable  house  and  good  barn,  with  a  bearing 
orchard  of  one  or  two  hundred  apple  trees,  the 
whole  premises  being  in  tolerable  repair,  may  be 
purchased  from  10001.  to  1,5001.,  according  to  the 
situation.  A  farm  nearly  answering  to  this  de- 
scription was  actually  sold  for  the  highest  sum 
here  mentioned. 

29th.  It  would  be  impossible  to  ascertain  the 
quantity  of  lands  in  this  township  for  sale;  but 
from  its  extent,  and  the  thinness  of  the  population, 
and  a  considerable  quantity  being  owned  by  non- 
residents, there  is  no  doubt  a  great  deal  for  sale. 

30th.  The  roads  are  in  a  most  deplorable  situa- 
tion, although  some  of  the  principal  ones  have 
been  considerably  repaired  at  the  public  expence. 
But  should  an  increase  of  public  expenditure,  or 
diminution  of  revenue,  prevent  legislative  aid,  the 
statute  labour  will  be  insufficient  to  keep  the  best 
of  them  in  repair.  Much  improvement  might  be 
made,  and  a  handsome  profit  yielded,  were  com- 
panies authorized  to  make  and  keep  public  high- 
ways in  repair  ;  the  making  of  which  would  be  a 
most  suitable  employment  for  Europeans  upon  their 
first  introduction  into  this  province,  they  being- 
better  acquainted  with  that  business  than  the  Ca- 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  401 

nadians.  The  grand  mode  of  conveyance  here, 
and  through  the  whole  province,  is  upon  the  great 
lakes ;  but  were  public  spirit  once  roused,  much 
might  be  effected  to  improve  the  water  commu- 
nication. But  to  confine  the  matter  to  Saltfleet,  a 
canal  might  be  easily  cut  through  the  long  beach 
which  separates  Burlington  bay  from  lake  Ontario 
(the  present  outlet  only  admitting  small  boats,  and 
sometimes  a  canoe  can  scarcely  pass),  the  distance 
not  exceeding  one-fourth  of  a  mile,  and  the  height 
above  the  water  not  more  than  eight  or  ten  feet, 
composed  wholly  of  a  fine  sand,  with  a  bold  shore 
in  many  places  on  both  sides,  and  the  bottom  of 
both  lakes  indicating  nothing  more  to  resist  than  a 
clay,  the  accomplishment  of  which  would  be  an 
object  of  no  less  importance  to  the  government 
than  the  people ;  and  here  the  benefit  derived 
would  not  be  confined  to  Saltfleet  t  this  little  work, 
of  vast  importance,  would  form  one  of  the  most 
secure  and  capacious  harbours  to  be  found  ;  here 
the  fleet  might  bid  defiance  to  an  enemy  in  time  of 
war,  or  act  in  conjunction  with  an  army  ;  Burling- 
ton heights  having  once  been  the  last  resort  of  the 
army,  and  ultimately  proved  the  saving  of  the 
country.  It  would  also,  by  changing  the  route, 
shorten  the  distance  of  conveying  the  exports  and 
imports  of  a  large  portion  of  the  district  of  Gore  in 
which  it  lies ;  and  also  a  large  portion  of  the  Lon- 
don District,  lying  westward,  and  could  not  fail 
to  add  new  life  and  energy  to  the  whole. 

(Signed) 
HUGH  WILLSON,  Chairman, 

D  D 


402 


STATISTICAL 


Composed  of  Extracts  from  the  Township 


WAGES  OF 

Names  of 
Townships. 

When  Settled. 

Inhabited  Houses. 

"8 

J 
z 

No.  of  Churches  or 
Places  of  Worship. 

No.  of  Preachers. 

No.  of  Medical 
Practitioners. 

No.  of  Schools. 

Fees  per  Quarter. 

No.  of  Stores. 

No.  of  Taverns. 

No.  of  Grist  Mills. 

'£ 

'c 

6 

Prices  of  Bricks 
per  1000. 

Prices  of  Lime  per 
bushel. 

Blacksmiths  per 
month  and  day. 

Carpenters  p.day. 

Masons  per  day. 

Common  Labour- 
ers per  Annum. 

s.d 

*.  d. 

s.d. 

a.  d. 

*.  rf. 

^•« 

Trafal- 

gar   

1807 

97 

£48 

0 

2  M. 

0 

3 

10  10 

0 

4 

1 

4 

30  0 

0 

.. 

•• 

5  0 

2ft    0 

Nelson  .. 

1807 

68 

476 

0 

1  M. 

,i 

•2 

12    6 

1 

3 

2 

1 

24  0 

0    9 

.. 

•:  o 

31    5 

Welling. 

ton 

Square, 

part    of 
Nelson 

1802 

16 

.. 

0 

0 

1 

1 

15     0 

1 

1 

0 

0 

.. 

0  1\ 

.. 

10  0 

S  3 

25    0 

East 

•"lamboro 

.. 

38 

.. 

0 

0 

9 

.. 

0 

0 

1 

2 

30  0 

0 

.. 

6  3 

6  3 

Per 

M. 

West 

794 

72 

360 

4 

5 

1 

r, 

£'. 

Flambo- 

ro'  and 

0 

0 

12     6 

3 

SO  0 

074 

6    5 

10  0 

10  0 

Bever- 

ly   

800 

60 

309 

1 

0 

1 

2 

Per 

Day. 

s.d. 

Waterloo 

800 

138 

850 

0 

2T.  * 
Men. 

0 

3 

15    0 

3 

1 

3 

5 

500 

0 

7    6 

10  0 

10  0 

37  10 

Dumfries 

816 

32 

163 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1 

0 

.. 

1 

.. 

o  74 

- 

.. 

..i 

.. 

Haldi- 

mand  .. 

783 

60 

430 

1 

.. 

0 

6 

2    6 

3 

5 

2 

3 

250 

1  3 

.. 

7  6 

7  6 

32  10 

Per 

M. 

Anr  aster 

1790 

162 

037 

M. 

IE. 

1 

616    3 

6 

8 

4 

b 

35  0 

I  0 

6     5 

10  0 

10  0 

Barton  .. 

1787 

130 

800 

1 

.. 

0 

513    6 

5 

4 

1 

4 

40  0 

074 

6    fi 

11  3 

11  3 

26       0 

Saltfleet  !1787 

100 

700!       1 

•• 

0 

5      .. 

' 

5 

1 

6 

37  6 

1  0 

» 

76 

5  0 

25    0 

Totals. 

.- 

973 

5673 

4 

6 

3 

i? 

107  3 

21 

34 

IS 

41 

301  6 

fi    6 

18    15 

726 

?0  9 

192     6 

Averag- 

ed by 

11 

10 

8 

9 

g 

3 

8 

10 

7 

Average-, 

-- 

88      567 

- 

» 

" 

..  13    5 

.... 

-• 

33    6 

09} 

6        5 

09} 

91 

27      9 

T.  in  column  six  stands  for  Tanker;  Men.  for  Menouist; 


TABLE. 


403 


Reports  of  the  District  of  Gore. 


WAGES  OF 

PRICES  OF  LIVE  STOCK' 

Common  Labour- 
ers per  Winter 

month. 

Common  Labour- 
ers per  Summer 
month. 

Common  Labourers 
per  day  in  Harvest. 

a. 
s* 

P 

Cost  of  clearing  and 
fencing  five  Acres 
ofwilcf  Land. 

A  Work-horse. 

1 

O 

d 
•4 

d. 
1 

Quantity  of  Wool 
per  Sheep. 

Price  of  Wool  per  Ib. 

Produce  of  wheat  in 
bushels,  per  acre. 

An  Ox  will  gain  in 
a  Summer's  run. 

I 

Price  of  Cheese, 
per  Ib. 

Price  of  Land  per 
Acre,  at  first. 

i  Price  of  Land  per 
Acre  now. 

L.  8 

L.  s 

s.d 

s.  d. 

L.  s. 

L.  s 

L.  8. 

L.  s.  s.d. 

Ib. 

s.d. 

to. 

*.  d. 

s.d 

s.d 

«.  d. 

2   0 

3   2 

.. 

5  0 

15   0 

13  15 

4  15 

7  10  12  6 

24 

I  10 

20 

200 

1  0 

1  0 

7  6 

22  6 

2   5 

3  15 

5  0 

6  4 

18  15 

15  0 

5   0 

7  10 

15  0 

4 

2  6 

IS 

JL 

0  11 

0  7£ 

10  0 

.. 

3 

2   0 

3   7 

5  0 

6  3 

15   0 

15  0 

6   5 

8  15 

136 

3£ 

2  6 

M 

.. 

1  3 

0  7i 

10  0 

95  0 

•- 

•• 

•• 

6  0 

30   0 

17  10 

4  17 

9   0 

10  0 

3 

3  6 

« 

100 

•• 

" 

7  6 

20  0 

- 

- 

6  3 

6  3 

20   0 

15  0 

4   7 

9   7 

11  3 

3 

3  6 

1C 

100 

0  10 

0  7^ 

-- 

" 

-- 

•- 

5  0 

6  6 

25   0 

30  0 

5   0 

10   0 

12  6 

" 

2  6 

20 

100 

1  0 

1  0 

5  0 

20  0 

2  10 

3  15 

5  0 

5  0 

15   0 

15  0 

5   0 

7  10 

10  0 

3J 

2  6 

SO 

200 

0  10 

5 

-- 

-- 

.. 

mm 

6  3 

6  S 

20   0 

15  0 

4   7 

9   7 

11  3 

3 

2  6 

ir, 

300 

11 

« 

.. 

2   0 

3   0 

5  0 

12  10 

16  5 

4  10 

10   0 

10  0 

3 

2  6 

25 

100 

11 

'i 

.. 

.. 

2   0 

3   0 

-- 

5  0 

20   0 

17  10 

5   0 

10   0 

12  6 

3 

3  6 

20 

150 

3 

0  10 

-- 

« 

12  15 

19  19 

38  9 

57  7 

81   5 

160  0 

49   1 

88  19 

117  6 

38^ 

24  4 

196 

1150 

9  0 

8  7 

10  0 

J7  6 

6 

6 

7 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

9 

10 

10 

8 

9 

9 

5 

4 

2   S 

3   6 

5  6 

5  9 

18   3 

16  0 

4  18 

8  18 

11  9 

4 

2  6 

19i 

143 

0 

)8f 

1  10 

E.  for  Episcopal ;  M.  for  Methodist. 


D  D  2 


404 


TABLE, 


Shewing  the  Beginning  and  Progress  of  Dumfries 
Settlement. 


Names  of  Settlers. 

ns 

ttt 

a 

Z 

Date  of  taking  Possession. 

Bushels  of  Grain  sown  Au- 
tumn, 1817. 

Total  No.  of  Acres  cleared 
and  chopped  up  to  the  end 
of  Nov.  1817. 

No.  of  Horses. 

Number  of  Cows. 

Number  of  Oxen. 

4 

March, 

8  W. 

8 

I 

2 

2 

Michael  Vanevry  ... 
L.  Sichermerholm  ... 
Cornelius  Conner  ... 
Samuel  Muma  
John  Pettit  

3 
3 

7 
6 
9 

1817. 
March, 
1817. 
March, 
1817. 
December, 
1816. 
March, 
1817. 
June, 

5  W. 
8  W. 
5  W. 
11  W. 
9  R. 

6 
9 
10 

20 

*> 

0 
0 

1 

0 
2 

1 
1 
2 

1 
3 

2 
0 
0 
0 
0 

8 

1817. 

40 

3 

3 

0 

3 

1816. 
May, 

If  W. 

IS 

0 

1 

0 

Isaac  Shaver  

3 

1817. 
March, 

1§  R. 
12§  W. 

15 

1 

2 

0 

John  Chambers  
Thomas  Laurison  ... 
Miller  Laurison  
John  Laurison  ...-• 
Enos  Griffeth  ..••>  ... 

3 

1 
9 
4 

7 

1817. 
December, 
1816. 
May, 
1817. 
May, 
1817. 
May, 
1817. 
December, 

6  W. 

23|  W. 
,      15§  W. 
13  W. 

15 
2 
25 
20 
23 

1 

0 

2 
0 

2 

2 
1 
3 
4 
3 

0 
0 
2 
2 
0 

Ephraira  Munson... 
Niel  Me  Mullen  

7 
6 
5 

1816. 
May, 
1817. 
July, 
1817. 
May, 

4  W. 
5  W. 

9 
7 
6 

2 
0 
0 

3 

2 
2 

2 

0 

9, 

William  Rosebrugh  . 
William  Me  Kenkie  . 
John  Buchannan  .  . 

7 
1 
3 

1817. 
December, 
1816. 
June, 
1817. 
May, 
1817. 

5  W. 
5  W. 

* 
6 
10 

0 

0 
0 

3 

0 

2 

2 
0 
2 

Totals,  20. 

99 

.... 

127|  W. 
lOf  R. 

245§ 

15 

41 

16 

In  column  fourth  of  the  above  Table,  W.  stands  for  wheat,  and  R.  for  rye.  In  the  same  column  tha 
number  of  bushels  may  also  be  taken  for  the  number  of  acres  sown.  The  word  chopped,  used  in 
column  fifth,  means  when  all  the  timber  is  cut  down,  and  in  pieces  ready  for  burning.  Some  of 
this  township  is  plain,  which  may  account  for  some  of  the  settlers  having  so  large  an  extent  chopped 
and  cleared  in  so  short  a  time.  The  original  Table  contained  is  more  settlers ;  but  those  exhibited 
are  sufficient  for  the  purpose. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  405 

SUMMARY    OF    POPULATION,    &C. 

The  above  Table  directly  exhi- 
bits .  '       .  .  .        ^  A' -5675  people; 
and   the  average    to   each   of  nine 
townships,  completely  reckoned,  is 
5/7.     The  average  number  of  per- 
sons to  a  house  in  these  townships 
is   6ir.      Wellington     Square 
has          .          .         .         16  houses 

East  Flamboro'  38  ditto 

•'I*.;  O'j:>i?'?    ifc.OOt     10  upr-     ___     .".•!;-'-.;'.!   r*;)}  'i<) 

These  multiplied  by  67  54,  give  330 
Total  population  thus  calculated  6003 
The  only  organized  township  in 

the  district  of  Gore,  not  reported,  is 

Glandford  :  it  is  pretty,  well  settled, 

and   will    equal   in    population  at 

least  the   average  of  the   reported 

townships,        V4.K'H    •$  '  '•'••*."' f7.  ,577 
Binbrook  had  in  1817  only 

16  families,  which  reckoned 

at  6f  gives      \  '!'•'*•    pl.  1  'h:  -,      98 

Woolwich  only  one  family  6 

681 

Total  white  population     .         .       6684 

The  Indians  on  the  Grand 
river  are  stated  in  the  Re- 
port of  Haldimand,  to  be 
about  ....  1800 

People  of  colour,  by  whom 
are  meant,  I  presume,  negroes 
and  mulattoes  30 


406  GORE    DISTRICT. 

But  I  have  seen  an  accurate 

government  list  of  the  Grand  i/v>J 

river   Indians,     which    made 

their  number  upwardsof  1900, 

so  that  we    may   add      S1.,£    100 

1930 

Total    population,     reported 

and  estimated        f}4tj        •          •          8614 

For  the  reported  population  of  6003,  there  ap- 
pear to  be  four  places  of  worship,  and  six  resident 
preachers ;  viz.  three  Methodists  ;  two  Tunkers 
and  Menonists;  and  one  Episcopalian.  There  are 
three  medical  practitioners ;  thirty-seven  schools  ; 
and  thirty-four  taverns. 

Improvement  is  said  to  be  retarded,  in  seven 
reports,  by  crown,  clergy,  and  other  reserves  :  in  seven 
reports,  by  the  great  extent  of  non-resident's  land  : 
in  three  reports,  by  want  of  capital :  in  two  re- 
ports, by  shutting  out  American  settlers:  in  one 
report,  by  want  of  enterprise :  in  one  report,  by 
want  of  mechanics :  in  one  report,  by  the  poverty 
of  beginners :  in  one  report,  by  the  effects  of  the 
late  war :  ii>  one  report,  by  the  want  of  emigrants, 
and  the  difficulties  opposed  to  them:  in  one  report, 
by  bad  roads :  in  one  report,  by  want  of  men :  in 
one  report,  by  lands  held  by  Indians,  who  cannot 
alienate :  in  one  report,  by  want  of  liberal  and  in- 
discriminate encouragement  to  emigration,  by  the 
government  of  the  province :  in  one  report,  the 
people  want  rousing  up. 


NIAGARA   DISTRICT.  407 


HUMBERSTON. 

14th  January,  1818. 

Mr.  ROBERT  GOURLAY, 
SIR, 

HAVING  considered  your  queries,  we  now 
present  you  with  answers  to  the  same  : 

5th.  There  is  one  English  and  one  Dutch 
school* 

8th.  The  rate  of  sawing,  3s.  6d.  per  hundred 
feet,  or  one  half  of  the  timber. 

9th.  Much  of  the  soil  is  a  rich  black  loam  ;  some 
of  a  yellowish  cast  and  poorer,  and  a  small  propor- 
tion clay.  There  is  a  considerable  extent  of  marsh. 
The  surface  throughout  is  flat  and  iow,  unless 
along  the  lake  shore,  where  there  is  a  narrow 
ridge  of  blown  sand,  occasionally  elevated  into 
little  hills,  the  highest  of  which  is  called  the  Sugar 
Loaf.  It  may  be  150  feet  high,  or  upwards. 

10th.  Timber  abounds  in  the  following  order; 
oak,  pine,  hickory,  beech,  maple,  walnut,  a^sh, 
elm,  bass,  tamarack,  black  spruce,  hemlock,  and 
cedar,  red  and  white. 

llth.  There  is  abundance  of  limestone,  and  two 
sulphur  springs. 

12th.  Limestone  is  used  for  building,  and  is  got 
on  the  lake  shore  for  the  picking  up. 

18th.  No  land  has  been  cleared  by  contract  for 
many  years. 


408  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

21st.  Beasts  are  turned  out  to  pasture  about  the 
beginning  of  May,  and  taken  home  the  beginning 
of  November. 

22d.  Sleighing  generally  lasts  two  months,  and 
ploughing  commences  the  first  of  April. 

23d.  Wheat  is  sown  in  September,  and  reaped 
the  beginning  of  August. 

25th.  The  pasture  is  capital.  Cheese  is  seldom 
taken  to  market. 

26th.  Atter  clearing  the  land,  wheat  is  the  first 
crop,  and  is  often  sown  the  second  year,  when  it 
is  sown  down  with  timothy  and  clover.  When 
broken  up  from  grass,  wheat  is  sown,  then  oats,  and 
then  again  laid  down  to  grass.  Sometimes  the  suc- 
cession is  wheat,  Indian  corn,  wheat  and  grass. 
On  the  best  spots,  Indian  corn  is  grown  several 
years  in  succession.  Manure  is  generally  applied 
to  meadows,  and  sometimes  to  wheat. 

27th.  Some  land  is  let  on  shares,  one-third  of 
the  crop  being  given  to  the  landlord,  and  one-half 
if  he  furnishes  team,  and  tackle;  excepting  always, 
potatoes,  flax,  and  garden  stuffs. 

28th.  At  the  first  settlement,  when  much  land 
was  held  on  location  tickets,  lots  of  200  acres 
could  be  bought  for  20  dollars.  The  price  has 
gradually  increased,  and  of  late  years  sales  have 
been  effected  at  2|  dollars  per  acre. 

29th.  A  considerable  quantity  of  land  is  now  for 
sale, 

30th,  The  roads  are  not  good,  but  could  be 
much  improved.  Water  conveyance  is  by  lake 
Erie ;  and  a  canal  could  be  very  easily  cut  from 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  409 

this  to  Lyons'  creek,  to  communicate  with  Chip- 
pawa. 

31st.  Increased  population,  and  improved  roads, 
;are  most  to  be  desired. 

(Signed) 

CHRISTIAN  ZAVITZ, 
ALEXANDER  GLEN, 
JESSE  ZAVITZ, 
.  .      ISAAC  MINER, 

DAVID  STEEL,  (for  self  and  father) 
WILLIAM  STEEL. 


BERTIE. 


3d.  About  once  a  fortnight  a  Methodist  preacher 
holds  a  meeting  here. 

6th.  There  are  eight  merchant  shops,  and  four 
store  houses  for  receiving  and  storing  merchan- 
dise in  the  township. 

8th.  One  carding  machine.  Rate  of  carding 
wool,  6d.  per  pound. 

9th.  The  soil,  generally,  is  a  mixture  of  clay  and 
loam  ;  the  surface  flat. 

10th.  This  township  is  timbered  with  white  and 
red  oak,  beech,  sugar  maple,  pine,  elm,  bass  wood, 
black  and  white  ash,  whitewood,  hickory,  black 
and  white  walnut,  and  tamarack. 

3 


410  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

llth.  The  only  min  ral  that  has  been  dis- 
covered is  what  is  here  called  hog  ore,  of  which 
there  is  said  to  be  plenty  in  the  marshes.  Lime- 
stone abounds  in  every  part  of  the  township. 

12th.  Limestone  is  the  only  building  stone  we 
have.  It  can  be  obtained  for  about  15s.  per  toise 
at  the  quarry. 

15th.  Blacksmiths  have  generally  7id.  for  work- 
ing iron  brought  to  the  shops,  and  5s.  for  shoeing 
a  horse  ;  none  of  the  iron  found  by  the  smith. 

21st.  Cattle  are  not  generally  put  out  to  pas- 
ture fields  in  the  spring,  but  are  turned  into  the 
woods,  about  the  1st  of  May,  at  which  time  they 
thrive  well  on  the  tender  growth,  and  are  taken 
into  the  yard  again  about  the  1st  of  December. 

22d.  Sleighing  commences  about  the  1st  of 
January, and  ends  about  the  1st  of  March.  Plough- 
ing commences  the  1st  of  April. 

23d.  The  season  for  sowing  wheat,  is  from  the 
1st  to  the  20th  of  September.  Wheat  harvest  ge- 
nerally commences  about  the  1st  of  August.  ' 

25th.  Pasture  is  productive.  An  ox  of  four 
years  old,  will  gain  about  one-third  his  weight  in  a 
summer's  run  ;  that  is,  if  he  weighs  4001bs.  in  the 
spring,  he  will  weigh  600lbs.  in  the  autumn.  A 
milch  cow,  at  pasture,  gives  from  ten  to  fourteen 
quarts  of  milk  per  day. 

26th.  New  lands  are  generally  sown  with  wheat 
in  the  autumn,  with  grass  seed  in  the  spring ;  after 
which,  they  remain  in  meadow  or  pasture  ground 
for  three  or  four  years  ;  when  the  roots  and  stumps 
become  decayed:  they  are  then  ploughed  in  the 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  411 

spring,  and  sown  with  wheat  in  the  fall.  Manure 
is  more  generally  applied  to  the  spring  crop,  that  is, 
Indian  corn,  buck  wheat,  potatoes,  and  flax. 

27th.  Lands  are  frequently  let  on  shares,  and  the 
custom  here  is,  to  allow  the  landlord  one-third  of 
the  produce  raised  on  the  land. 

29th.  The  quantity  of  land  now  for  sale  in  this 
township,  is  about  2000  acres. 

30th.  Perhaps  no  township  in  the  province  has 
greater  advantages  on  account  of  the  water  commu- 
nication than  this.  Property  of  all  kinds  is  con- 
veyed in  vessels  of  130  tons  burden,  from 
hence  nearly  100  miles  westward.  A  canal  is 
projected  at  Fort  Erie  rapids,  which,  when  com- 
pleted, will  admit  of  boats  passing  through,  of  five 
tons  burden.  Public  roads  are  rather  in  a  bad 
state,  but  by  a  strict  application  of  the  statute 
labour,  and  a  moderate  ex  pence,  they  might  be 
made  good. 

31st.  For  the  last  two  years  this  township  has 
improved  ;  but  its  improvement  might  be  greatly 
advanced,  and  that  in  a  very  few  years,  had  we  but 
a  few  men  of  capital  and  enterprise  from  the 
mother  country  among  us.  Perhaps,  no  township 
in  the  district  of  Niagara,  can  boast  of  better  lands 
than  the  township  of  Bertie,  and  we  are  certain 
that  very  few  have  greater  advantages  either  for  the 
mechanic  or  farmer. 

We,  Sir,  are  convinced  that  the  plan  you  have 
undertaken  for  encouraging  our  fellow  subjects  to 
migrate  to  this  province,  and  settle  amongst  us, 


412  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

is  an   excellent  one,  and  we  earnestly  hope  and 
trust  it  may  and  will  succeed. 

Township  of  Bertie,  1st  January,  1818. 

(Signed) 

J.  WARREN,  J.  P.  JOHN  APPLEGARTH, 

ANDREW  MILLER,  THOMAS  MOORE, 

SAMUEL  M'AFEE,  B.  HARBISON, 

CHARLES  HILL,  JOHN  MAXWELL, 

HENRY  WARREN,  MATTHIAS  HAUN. 
WILLIAM  POWELL, 


WILLOUGHBY. 

2d,  Surveyed  and  laid  out  by  government  in 
1787,  at  which  time  it  got  its  present  name  ;  pre- 
vious to  this,  in  1784,  there  were  about  ten  fami- 
lies settled  upon  some  parts  of  the  land,  under  the 
sanction  of  the  then  commanding  officer  at  Niagara. 

3d.  There  are  frequently  illiterate  Methodist 
preachers,  of  whom  there  is  no  scarcity  in  the  coun- 
try, who  occasionally  hold  forth ;  and  such  of  the 
inhabitants  who  have  not  the  benefit  of  these, 
attend  divine  worship  in  the  neighbouring  town- 
ships when  an  occasion  offers. 

9th.  Surface  is  in  general  flat  and  low.  Soil  in 
general  a  black  loam  and  clay  ;  and  very  heavily 
timbered. 

10th.  The  kinds  of  timber  are  red  oak,  elm, 
maple,  beech,  pine,  hickory,  basswood,  black  wal- 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  413 

nut,  black  spruce,  white  oak,  and  a  variety  of  dif- 
ferent descriptions. 

llth.  There  are  two  sulphur  springs  in  the  inte- 
rior of  the  township,  very  strongly  impregnated. 

16th.  Wages  of  a  labourer  per  day  in  harvest  for 
cradling,  the  price  of  a  bushel  of  wheat ;  the  same 
for  the  person  that  rakes  and  binds,  both  being 
found  in  provision,  and  in  as  much  grog  as  they 
choose  to  drink. 

17th.  Price  for  mowing  grass  per  day,  about  3s. 
9d.  and  treated  as  above. 

18th.  Cost  of  clearing  and  fencing  five  acres  of 
land,  about  201. ;  that  is,  cutting,  burning  up  all 
the  timber  a  foot  diameter  and  under;  the  larger 
timber  being  killed  by  cutting  the  bark  all  round ; 
in  doing  this,  the  person  clearing  the  land,  finds 
himself  in  provisions  and  every  other  expense. 

21st.  Beasts  are  commonly  turned  out  to  pasture 
in  the  beginning  of  March,  or  so  soon  as  the  snow 
is  off  the  ground  ;  cattle  finding  food  much  earlier 
in  heavy  timbered  land,  than  upon  open  land ; 
working  cattle  are  only  housed  when  the  snow  be- 
gins to  fall,  which  is  about  January ;  young  cat- 
tle commonly  run  out  all  winter  and  get  a  little 
fodder  in  very  severe  weather. 

24th.  One  bushel,  and  sometimes  only  three  quar- 
ters to  an  acre,  if  sown  early. 

25th.  The  pasture  throughout  the  township  is 
excellent ;  the  white  clover  growing  so  soon  as 
ever  the  land  is  cleared.  A  good  cow  will  give  milk 
enough  to  make  six  or  seven  pounds  of  butter  per 
week. 


414  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

26th.  New  land,  when  first  cleared,  is  commonly 
sowed  with  wheat  in  the  month  of  September ; 
timothy  and  red  clover  seeds  are  sown  on  the  same 
ground  early  in  the  spring  following,  then  lays  in 
grass  till  the  roots  are  rotted,  so  as  to  allow  the 
plough  to  go  through  ;  this  requires  three  or  four 
years  ;  then  ploughed,  and  four  or  five  crops  of  any 
kind  of  grain  are  taken  off  successively,  without 
any  manure  whatever  ;  then  laid  down  in  grass  for 
two  or  three  years,  and  again  cropped  as  before. 

27th.  Very  little  land  let  upon  shares ;  but  when 
this  is  the  case,  the  landlord  gets  one-third  of  the 
grain,  and  one-half  of  the  hay,  the  tenant  finding 
team  and  tackling  ;  but  if  the  landlord  finds  team, 
and  tackling,  and  stock,  he  gets  half  of  all  the  in- 
crease, both  grain  and  stock. 

28th.  A  farm  of  200  acres,  one-half  under  cul- 
tivation, with  tolerable  frame  buildings,  and  orchard, 
sells  now  for  6251.  to  7001.  Farms,  however,  upon 
the  Niagara  or  Chippawa  rivers,  will  sell  much 
higher  according  to  their  situation. 
•  29th.  From  the  best  information  there  may  be 
from  eight  to  ten  thousand  acres  of  wild  lands,  and 
eight  or  ten  improved  farms  for  sale  in  this  township. 
30th.  The  roads  in  this  township  are  principally 
upon  the  east,  west,  and  north  sides,  and  are 
in  general  good,  there  being  little  or  no  settle- 
ment in  the  interior  and  south  side,  owing  to  large 
tracts  being  owned  there  by  non-residents ;  good 
roads  can  be  made  any  where  through  the  township, 
if  ever  settled  ;  good  water  conveyance  on  the  east 
and  north  sides  by  the  Niagara  and  Chippawa 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS,  415 

rivers,  and  Lyons  creek,  on  the  north-west  part 
of  the  township.  Much  might  be  done  in  the  im- 
provement of  this  township  and  the  adjoining  town- 
ships of  Crowland  and  Wainfleet,  by  bringing  the 
water  of  lake  Erie  into  Lyons  cree'k,  which  emp- 
ties into  the  Chippawa  river,  about  a  mile  from  the 
mouth,  the  distance  from  the  head  of  Lyons  creek 
not  being  more  than  a  mile  from  lake  Erie,  in  dig- 
ging which,  eight  feet  would  be  the  deepest  to 
about  three  feet  at  the  least;  the  soil  of  which, 
part  sand  and  part  clay  ;  this  improvement  has  been 
talked  of,  but  from  the  want  of  means  and  inhabi- 
tants, has  never  been  attempted.  Did  this  improve- 
ment take  place,  it  would  be  a  great  benefit  to  the 
transport  between  lakes  Ontario  and  Erie,  the  dis- 
tance from  the  mouth  of  Chippawa  to  the  place 
where  it  is  proposed  to  let  the  waters  of  lake  Erie 
into  Lyons  creek,  not  being  greater  than  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Chippawa  to  Fort  Erie;  besides,  at 
the  proposed  place  for  this  cut,  there  is  a  good  har- 
bour for  vessels  on  lake  Erie.  In  case  of  a  war 
this  line  of  transport  would  be  of  much  use,  it 
being  quite  removed  from  the  division  line  between 
this  country  and  the  United  States. 

3 1st.  What  in  our  opinion  retards  the  improve- 
ment of  this  township,  is,  that  a  great  part  of  it 
is  in  large  tracts,  being  owned  by  persons  not  resi- 
dent on  the  land,  and  who  cannot  find  purchasers  ; 
what  retards  the  improvement  of  the  province  in 
general,  is  the  want  of  good  wholesome  inhabitants 
to  cultivate  the  soil.  Emigration  from  the  united 
kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  is  much 


412  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

Wished  for,  and  at  the  same  time  it  would  be 
strengthening  the  province  against  our  enemies ; 
even  a  few  inhabitants  from  the  United  States,  un- 
der proper  restrictions,  would  add  much  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  this,  as  also  to  the  mother  country  in 
cultivating  the  wild  lands. 

We  would  earnestly  recommend  a  large  emigra- 
tion from  the  mother  country  of  industrious  peo- 
ple, who,  by  obtaining  one  or  two  hundred  acres  of 
wild  lands  from  government,  might  set  themselves 
down  with  their  families,  and  in  the  course  of  one 
or  two  years  make  a  good  living  in  the  province. 

(Signed) 

THOMAS  CUMMINGS,  J.  P. 
JAMES  CUMMINGS,  J.  P. 

Willouyhby,  <\tli  Dec.  1817. 


STAMFORD. 

Ndv.  17  thy  1817. 

ROBERT  GOURLAY,  ESQ. 
SIR, 

HAVING  seen  your  address  to  the  resn 
dent  land  owners  of  Upper  Canada,  and  it  appear- 
ing to  me  that  if  the  views  of  which  are  carried 
into  effect,  much  benefit,  in  my  humble  opinion, 
will  result  to  this  township,  but  more  particularly 
to  the  province  at  large,  I  have,  therefore,  con- 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  417 

vened  a  few  of  our  oldest  and  most  respectable 
inhabitants,  in  conjunction  with  whom  I  now  send 
the  following  answers  to  your  queries  for  the 
township  of  Stamford,  viz. 

1st.  This  township,  at  its  first  settlement,  was 
called  Mount  Dorchester,  or  township  No.  2,  and 
got  its  present  name  from  Lieutenant  Governor 
Simcoe,  in  1793. 

2d.  It  was  first  settled  in  1784,  by  about  10 
families,  who  had  adhered  to  the  British  cause 
during  the  American  war. 

3d.  It  has  one  Presbyterian  church,  built  in 
1791)  by  subscription;  another  church  was  also 
built  by  subscription  in  1795,  for  the  use  of  all 
persuasions.  This  last  was  destroyed  during  the 
late  war.  One  other  church  is  now  building  for 
the  Methodists.  We  have  one  resident  Presbyte- 
rian clergyman  (supported  by  subscription) ;  also 
itinerant  Methodist  preachers,  who  preach  once  a 
fortnight :  and  occasionally  divine  service  is  per- 
formed by  the  established  episcopal  clergymen  of 
the  neighbourhood,  when  they  see  convenient. 

8th.  One  fulling  mill,  and  two  carding  mills. 
About  7d.  sterling  per  yard  for  fulling  and  pressing 
cloth,  and  about  5{d.  per  pound  for  carding  wool. 

9th.  The  soil  is  in  general  of  a  loamy  clay,  with 
some  sandy  and  other  soils,  all  of  which  have  been 
found  good  for  wheat  and  other  grain,  as  also  for 
hay  and  pasture. 

10th.  The  timber  is  chiefly  oak,  beech,  maple, 
hickory,  walnut,  elm,  chestnut,  basswood,  ash,  and 
some  pine,  as  also  a  small  quantity  of  other  sorts. 

E  E 


418  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

llth.  Of  minerals  there  are  none,  except  bog 
iron  ore  :  limestone  there  is  abundance ;  it  being 
the  general  strata  of  the  township,  all  the  bank  of 
the  Niagara  river  being  of  this,  as  also  the  rock  over 
which  the  Niagara  Falls  pour.  No  plaster  of  Paris 
has  yet  been  found  of  a  good  quality;  some 
marl ;  no  salt  rock  ;  some  salt  licks  on  the  banks 
of  the  Chippawa  ;  no  salt  springs;  several  inflam- 
mable gas  springs,  which  ooze  out  of  the  bank  of 
the  Niagara  river,  from  the  mouth  of  Chippawa 
river,  and  extend  about  If  miles  down.  The  air, 
from  some  of  these,  when  confined  in  a  tube,  will 
burn  constantly. 

12th,  There  are  building-stones  plenty;  the 
quality  a  bastard  limestone,  and  cost  about  25s. 
per  toise  at  the  quarry. 

17th.  Hay,  in  a  plentiful  season,  is  frequently 
mowed  and  cured  to  the  halves,  either  divided  in 
stacks,  or  in  cocks,  as  agreed  upon.  Price  of 
mowing  and  making  an  acre  of  grass,  3s.  9d.  to  5s. 

18th.  The  cost  of  clearing  and  fencing  five 
acres  of  land  fit  for  the  harrow,  is  from  50  to  60 
dollars:  by  clearing,  is  meant  all  the  fallen  timber, 
and  the  standing  timber  of  a  foot  diameter  and 
under,  being  cut  up  and  burnt;  the  larger  standing 
timber  to  be  girdled. 

21st.  Young  cattle  and  horses  frequently  stay 
out  for  two  or  three  months  in  the  winter,  where 
the  woods  are  contiguous,  a  little  fodder  being 
only  given  them  in  storms  and  severe  weather. 

25th.  The  quality  of  the  pasture  is  in  general 
good ;  the  white  clover  coming  in  naturally  so 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  419 

soon  as  the  land  is  cleared  of  timber.  A  good 
cow  will  yield  from  5lb.  to  61b.  of  butter  per  week. 

26th.  Wheat  is  generally  the  first  crop  after  clear- 
ing the  land;  sometimes,  but  not  generally,  a  second 
crop  of  wheat;  then  grass  three  or  four  years; 
then  ploughed  up  for  wheat,  or  any  other  grain, 
and  continued  in  crop  for  three  or  four  years. 
Manure  seldom  used  for  any  other  crop  than  that 
of  Indian  corn  or  potatoes.  Wheat  is  commonly 
sown  on  fallow,  that  is,  ground  two  or  three  times 
ploughed,  in  May,  June,  and  July. 

27th.  Several  farms  are  let  out  on  shares,  say 
to  the  extent  of  20. 

28th.  A  farm  of  100  acres  partly  cleared,  say 
half,  and  under  cultivation,  with  tolerable  farm 
buildings,  including  a  good  orchard  (which  almost 
every  farm  has),  will  sell  for  5001.  sterling,  quick 
sale,  and  some  places  at  a  higher  rate,  according  to 
situation. 

29th.  The  land  being  principally  settled,  and  in 
general  improved,  there  is  none  for  sale,  unless  an 
offer  is  made  which  the  owner  thinks  advan- 
tageous. 

30th.  The  great  portage  road  from  Queenston  to 
the  water  communication  above  the  falls  goes 
through  this  township,  and  is  in  general  good,  as 
are  also  the  other  roads.  The  roads  here,  as  in  the 
other  townships  of  the  province,  are  made  and 
repaired  by  statute  labour,  which  is  too  generally 
but  indifferently  applied.  Much  improvement 
might  be  made  in  the  roads,  was  this  labour  com- 
muted. No  water  carriage,  except  on  the  Chip- 

E  E  2 


420  NIAGARA  DISTRICT. 

pawa  river,  on  the  south  of  the  township,  which  is 
navigable  for  boats  of  any  description  from  the 
mouth  /or  40  miles.  Locks  may  be  made  to 
pass  the  great  falls,  and  connect  lakes  Ontario  and 
Erie ;  but  many  years  must  elapse  before  the  pro- 
vince is  rich  enough  to  meet  the  expence. 

31st.  What  retards  the  further  improvement  of 
the  township  is  the  scarcity  of  labourers,  there 
being  few  not  only  in  this  township,  but  through- 
out the  province  in  general.  This  scarcity  is  caused 
principally  by  the  want  of  emigration,  and  by  the 
ease  with  which  industrious  labourers  can  obtain 
lands  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  where  they 
can  make  farms  of  their  own  ;  this  township,  how- 
ever, is  much  better  improved  in  roads,  and  in 
every  other  respect  than  most  townships  of  the 
province,  owing  to  its  being  owned  principally  by 
actual  settlers,  with  moderate  quantities  of  land,  and 
no  reserves  being  made  in  it  for  fth  of  the  land 
for  the  crown,  and  another  £th  for  the  clergy. 
Some  few  of  the  adjoining  townships  are  in  the 
same  fortunate  situation,  these  being  surveyed 
and  a  Hotted  to  actual  settlers  before  the  reserva- 
tion of  the  above  f  ths  of  the  land  was  thought 
of;  other  tracts  have,  however,  suffered  severely 
for  this ;  in  which  are  not  only  made  reservations 
of  their  own  *.ths,  but  reservations  are  also  made 
in  them  for  the  townships  granted  without. 
Another  great  hindrance  to  the  improvement  of 
the  province  in  general  is,  that  in  many  of  the 
townships  large  tracts  are  taken  up  by  officers  of 
government,  and  others  non-resident  in  the  coun- 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  421 

try,  for  which  lands  non-residents  pay  no  tax 
whatever  towards  -opening  and  making  roads  and 
bridges,  and  other  improvements,  which  subjects 
the  inhabitants  (who  must  of  consequence  be 
thinly  settled)  to  many  serious  inconveniences,  for 
which  I  see  no  remedy  until  a  tax  is  laid  upon  all 
wild  lands,  which  will  be  the  means  of  bringing 
about  sales,  and  actual  settlement.  It  is  an  idea 
with  me,  and  with  most  of  my  best  informed 
acquaintance,  that,  were  government,  in  place  of 
giving  away  lands  to  actual  settlers,  in  specific 
situations,  it  would  be  much  better  to  sell  them, 
which  would  raise  a  very  large  fund  for  public  pur- 
poses, besides  allowing  settlers  and  emigrants  to 
place  themselves  agreeable  to  their  choice  and 
means. 

Should  I  have  answered  your  queries  in  a  satis* 
factory  manner,  I  shall  be  gratified,  and  with  every 
wish  for  success  in  your  present  undertaking, 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir, 

Your  very  obedient  Servant, 
(Signed)       JOHN  GARNER,  Sen. 

Collector  for  Stamford. 


GRANTHAM. 


Pursuant  to  public  Notice,  a  Number  of  the  oldest 
Inhabitants  assembled,  to  take  into  Consideration 
your  Queries.  A  Committee  being  appointed, 


422  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

the  following  Answers  were  adopted,  which,  we 
presume,  will  be  satisfactory. 

3d.  One  church ;  one  Presbyterian  (non-resi- 
dent) ;  two  travelling  preachers  (Methodists). 

8th.  Millers'  wages,  from  51.  to  71.  10s.  per 
month.  Four  saw  mills  ;  if  logs  delivered  at  the  mill, 
they  take  one  half  the  boards ;  sawyers'  wages, 
from  51.  to  61.  10s.  a  month.  One  carding  machine  ; 
price  of  carding  wool,  6d.  per  Ib.  ;  carders'  wages, 
51.  per  month. 

9th.  The  soil  in  its  natural  state  is  covered  with 
a  black  loam,  from  three  to  nine  inches  deep ;  is  of 
two  kinds  ;  the  northern  part,  a  sandy  loam;  the 
other  a  brown  clay,  intermixed  with  marl,  generally 
rich  and  productive. 

10th.  The  lands  are  heavily  timbered  with  white 
and  red  oak  ;  white  pine  ;  beech  ;  sugar  and  white 
maple  ;  red  and  white  elm ;  black  and  white  ash  ; 
white  wood ;  chestnut ;  basswood ;  hickory,  and 
black  walnut ;  with  some  cherry,  butternut,  but- 
ton wood,  sassafras,  iron  wood,  dog  or  box  wood. 

llth.  Very  few  minerals  yet  discovered.  A  sa- 
line spring  near  the  village  of  St.  Catherine's,  of 
an  excellent  quality,  has  lately  been  discovered, 
and  with  improvement  will  be  capable  of  supplying 
the  district  with  the  valuable  article,  salt.  Iron 
bog  ore  in  great  plenty  ;  it  is  found  in  low  wet 
lands;  is  raised  in  large  lumps,  the  size  of  common 
stone,  and  made  use  of  for  the  backs  of  fire-places, 
in  place  of  stone. 

12th.  There  is  a  ridge  or  mountain  running  along 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  423 

the  southern  boundary  of  this  township,  which  is 
composed  of  an  inexhaustible  body  of  lime,  fire  and 
building  stone,  which  can  be  obtained  at  .5s.  per 
toise  at  the  quarry. 

15th.  Blacksmiths'  work  at  the  rate  of  7|d.  per 
Ib. ;  shoeing  a  horse,  10s.;  journeymen  black- 
smiths, 5l.  per  month. 

18th.  Heavy  timbered  lands,  5l.  to  61.  5s.  per 
acre.  Light  timbered,  from  21.  to  5\.  per  acre. 

25th.  White  clover,  red  top,  and  spear  grass, 
natural  to  the  soil ;  but  produces  red  clover  and 
herds  grass,  if  sown  in  good  crops ;  white  clover, 
best  feeding  pasture.  A  good  four  year  old  ox 
will  gain,  if  attended,  from  200  to  250 Ib. ;  by 
running  on  the  commons,  or  in  the  woods,  will 
gain  150  to  170lb.  A  milch  cow  will  produce, 
(well  kept),  8lb.  butter,  or  14lb.  cheese  per  week. 

26th.  New  land,  in  its  natural  state,  given  from 
€  to  10  years  ;  the  owner  receiving  the  improve- 
ment for  his  rent  at  the  expiration  of  the  stated 
time.  Manure  is  applied  for  flax,  potatoes,  oats, 
Indian  corn,  wheat,  and  rye. 

27th.  Improved  lands  are  let  out  upon  shares, 
owner  furnishing  team  and  utensils,  one  half  the 
seed,  and  receives  half  the  produce.  If  the  owner 
furnish  land  only,  to  cultivate,  he  receives  one-third 
the  produce.  A  single  man  gets  one-third  of  what 
he  raises,  and  found  every  thing. 

28th.  Farms  of  200  acres,  situate  on  the  most 
public  roads,  of  a  good  quality,  comfortable  house, 
good  barn,  orchard,  &c.  from  100  to  150  acres 
improved,  will  sell  for  61.  to  71.  10s.  per  acre. 


424  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

Farms  of  100  acres,  small  house  and  barn,  60  acres 
improved,  will  sell  from  5\.  to  61.  per  acre.  Lands 
sold  in  the  village  of  St.  Catherine's,  the  only  one 
in  the  township,  in  1809,  10,  and  11,  for  61.  5s.  per 
acre,  now  sells  from  301.  to  2001.  for  building 
lots. 

29th.  From  3000  to  5000  acres. 

30th.  Very  bad.  Capable  of  being  made  good 
at  the  rate  of  from  5s.  to  7s.  6d.  per  rod  ;  a  water 
communication  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the 
village  of  St.  Catherine's,  for  boats  of  10  tons 
burden,  say  4  miles,  is  capable  of  being  extended 
and  improved,  by  means  of  a  canal  of  three  miles 
distant,  which  will  bring  the  Chippawa  creek  into 
the  Twelve  Mile  Creek,  by  which  means  it  will 
connect  the  waters  of  lake  Erie  and  lake  Ontario. 
The  greatest  expence,  10,0001. ;  the  Twelve  Mile 
Creek  runs  by  the  flourishing  village  of  St.  Cathe- 
rine's, and  is  the  best  stream  for  mills  and  ma- 
chinery in  this  district. 

31st.  The  last  of  your  queries  is  a  question  of 
the  greatest  importance,  and  we  do  not  feel  our- 
selves competent  to  answer  it  correctly.  The 
province  was  in  a  most  prosperous  state  at  the 
commencement  of  the  late  war;  that  of  course 
injured  it  in  a  most  serious  manner,  a  stop  being 
put  to  all  agriculture.  It  was  drained  of  all  its 
resources ;  money  was  left  in  the  country,  it  is 
true,  but  it  went  but  a  short  way  to  replace  those 
necessaries  each  family  stood  in  need  of.  Since 
then,  we  conceive  the  prosperity  of  the  country  has 
been  materially  retarded,  for  the  want  of  its  being 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  425 

correctly  represented  to  his  Majesty's  ministers. 
In  consequence  of  the  stop  put  to  emigration  fromn 
abroad,  hardly  a  family  of  wealth  or  respectability// 
has  become  a  settler  among  us ;  but  swarms  oty/ 

v 

mechanics  and  labourers  overrun  the  country,  and 
take  to  the  United  States  most  of  the  ready 
money  we  have,  they  finding  no  inducement  to 
become  settlers  from  the  above  restrictions. 

We  think  the  removal  of  the  above  evil,  taxing 
non-residents  for  the  lands  they  hold  in  the  pro- 
vince, and  the  emigration  of  a  few  foreigners  of 
capital,  is  all  that  we  want  at  present,  to  make  us  a 
prosperous  and  happy  people. 

In  the  chair,  Mr.  W.  H.  MERRITT. 

Committee,   Mr.  WM.  CHISHOLM, 

CHARLES  INGERSOLL, 
WM.  MANN,  Sen. 

AMOS  M'KENNEY, 

PAUL  SHIPMAN. 
(Signed) 
SAMUEL  WOOD,  Secretary. 

Grantham,  St.  Catherine's,  November  29$,  1817. 


LOUTH. 

Jan.  5, 1818. 

At  a  Meeting  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Township 
of  Louth,  District  of  Niagara^  and  Province 
of  Upper  Canada,  held  this  Day  at  the  House 


426  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

of  Mr.  Robert  Runchey,  Innkeeper  —  the  Queries 
proposed  in  an  Address  of  Robert  Gourlay.  Esq. 
to  the  Resident  Land-  Owners,  respecting  the 
Agricultural  State  of  this  Province,  were  sub- 
mitted; and  after  due  Consideration,  the  follow- 
ing Answers  were  resolved  upon,  approved  of, 
ordered  to  be  signed  by  the  Chairman,  and  for- 
warded to  R.  Gourlay,  Esq. 

EBENEZER  COLLVER,  Chairman, 
JOHN  CLARK,  Secretary. 


8th.  One  carding  machine.  Wool  is  carded  for 
6}d.  per  Ib. 

9th.  About  one  half  of  the  township  is  a  clay 
soil,  the  other  half  a  sandy  loam,  adapted  to  grass, 
wheat,  rye,  barley,  oats,  Indian  corn,  buck  wheat, 
beans,  peas,  and  potatoes.  The  soil  and  climate 
throughout  the  province  is  favourable  to  fruit,  of 
which  we  have  the  following  —  apples,  pears, 
peaches,  nectarines,  apricots,  plums,  cherries, 
gooseberries,  raspberries,  and  currants.  Grapes 
have  succeeded  well  in  the  Niagara  district. 

10th.  The  timber  is  oak,  pine,  black  walnut, 
butternut,  beech,  maple,  cherry,  hickory,  bass- 
wood,  ash,  and  elm. 

1  1th.  Several  salt  springs  have  been  discovered  in 
this  township.  On  the  Fifteen  and  Twenty  Mile 
Creeks  works  have  been  in  operation  for  some  years 
past;  at  the  Fifteen  Mile  Creek,  for  want  of  proper 
attention,  they  yield  but  trifling,  though  we  are  of 
opinion,  if  they  were  rightly  managed,  a  sufficiency 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  427 

of  salt  might  be  made  for  the  use  of  the  township 
from  that  spring  alone.  Salt,  7s.  6d.  per  bushel. 

12th.  Building  stone,  of  an  excellent  quality, 
can  be  obtained  at  5s.  per  toise,  at  the  quarry, 
from  a  ledge  of  building,  and  lime,  stone  running 
along  the  south  side  of  the  township. 

17th.  Mowing  3s.  9d.  per  day  ;  cradling  wheat 
5s. 

25th.  The  average  product  of  a  cow  per  day  is  10 
to  12  quarts  of  milk,  and  about  six  pounds  of  butter 
per  week  from  each  cow. 

26th.  New  land,  when  cleared,  is  never  plough- 
ed ;  the  wheat  is  sowed,  and  harrowed  in  after  the 
crop  is  taken  off  the  following  year;  then  pas- 
tured, and  the  next  year  ploughed  and  sowed : 
manure  is  seldom  used  until  the  land  becomes 
somewhat  exhausted. 

27th.  There  are  several  farms  in  the  township 
let  upon  shares,  the  land  proprietor  getting  one- 
third  of  the  produce. 

29th.  There  is  no  land  at  present  offered  for 
sale  ;  but  should  purchasers  appear,  no  doubt  sales 
would  take  place.  A  farm  of  200  acres,  with  a 
house  and  barn,  60  acres  cleared  Dr  improved, 
with  a  small  orchard,  will  sell  for  «£750. 

30th.  The  roads  principally  travelled  are  capable 
of  being  made  good  at  a  small  ex  pence,  and  we  do 
conceive  that  sufficient  attention  has  not  been 
paid  to  that  particular.  The  manner  in  which 
the  statute  labour  is  performed  on  them  is  quite 
inadequate  to  the  importance  of  the  object. 

We  have  three  water  communications  with  lake 


428  NIAGARA  DISTRICT. 

Ontario,  say  the  Fifteen,  Sixteen,  and  Twenty  Mile 
Creeks,  running  through  this  township,  and  are  na- 
vigable in  their  present  state  for  boats  of  from  five  to 
20  tons  burden.  The  Twenty  Mile  Creek  is  quite 
navigable  to  the  centre  of  the  township  for  boats  of 
20  tons  burden,  and  is  capable  of  being  improved  by 
locks  and  canals,  by  which  means  a  water  commu- 
nication may  be  carried  on  between  lakes  Erie  and 
Ontario,  atatrifling  expence,  considering  the  import- 
ance of  the  thing.  This  creek  abounds  with  fine 
fish,  say  salmon,  bass,  pike,  pickerel,  eels,  mullets, 
suckers,  perch,  and  many  other  small  fish. 

Above  the  navigable  waters  of  this  creek  are 
many  excellent  mill  seats  unoccupied. 

3 1st.  We  conceive  the  improvement  of  this 
township  and  the  province  in  general  is  much 
retarded,  from  .arge  tracts  of  wild  lands  holden  by 
persons  residing  in  Europe,  Lower  Canada,  and 
the  United  Sta:es,  who  do  not  in  any  way  contri- 
bute towards  the  revenue  or  improvement  of  the 
country. 

The  statute  labour  is  performed  entirely  by  the 
people  residirg  in  the  township,  as  also  the  revenue 
is  raised  from  the  same. 

The  evil  ,ust  mentioned,  and  great  want  of 
capital  in  oir  township,  is  what  most  retards  the 
improvemen;  of  it. 

N.  B.  Wt  know  of  but  one  instance  of  men  of 
capital  that  have  purchased  lands  to  any  extent  in 
this  province.  A  company  of  Dutchmen  pur- 
chased a  block  of  land  on  the  Grand  river,  now 
called  the  township  of  Waterloo.  The  province, 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  429 

generally  speaking,  is  composed  of  discharged  sol- 
diers, who  served  during  the  American  revolution, 
and  emigrants  from  the  United  States :  most  of  the 
iatter  are  what  are  termed  U.  E.  loyalists,  all  of 
whom  had  but  little  to  begin  with. 

Further.  We  have  known  men  going  into  new 
lands,  pay  for  the  same,  by  manufacturing  the  ashes 
made  from  the  timber  burnt  in  clearing  their 
farms. 

(Signed)        EBENEZER  COLLVER, 

Chairman. 

By  order,        JOHN  CLARK, 
Secretary. 


GRIMSBY. 


Two  carding  machines ;  two  fulling  mills ;  card- 
ing wool,  per  pound,  6d.  The  soil  very  good  for 
wheat,  rye,  oats,  pease,  buck  wheat,  flax,  Indian 
corn,  and  grass.  The  timber  is  white  pine,  white 
and  red  oak,  hickory,  ash,  elm,  sugar  and  soft 
maple,  chestnut,  butternut,  beech,  and  iron  wood. 
Price  of  reaping  and  mowing,  per  day,  5s. ;  for 
cradling,  6s.  Twenty-five  bushels  an  acre  from 
new  land,  15  from  old  land.  If  let  on  shares,  if 
new,  give  the  first  crop  for  clearing  and  fencing ;  if 
old  land,  give  one-third  of  the  crop :  land  improved, 
according  to  the  situation,  say  from  11.  to  41.  per 
acre.  Quantity  of  land  for  sale  unknown,  but  a 


430  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

great  deal.     State  of  the  roads  at  present  is  bad, 
but  may  be  made  good  at  a  moderate  expence. 

As  to  what  retards  the  improvement  of  our 
township  is,  that  the  whole  of  the  township  is 
located,  and  a  great  deal  of  land  in  the  township 
for  sale,  but  no  buyers  ;  and  the  province  in  ge- 
neral, is  the  small  commerce,  and  the  low  prices  of 
what  we  have  to  export,  and  the  high  prices  of 
what  we  have  imported. 

(Signed)  ANDREW  PETTIT, 
Town  Clerk  of  Township  of  Grimsby. 


A  SECOND  REPORT  WAS  SENT  TO  ME  FROM 
GRIMSBY,  OF  WHICH  THE  FOLLOWING  ARE 
EXTRACTS. 

As  to  population,  I  may  with  propriety  say 
that  there  would  have  been  at  least  one-third  or  a 
half  more,  had  the  laws  of  the  British  Parliament, 
for  the  encouragement  of  the  colonization  of  this 
fine  province,  been  allowed  to  take  their  full  scope; 
but  for  what  reason  or  cause  some  of  our  rulers 
have,  by  a  dash  of  the  pen,  endeavoured  to  abro- 
gate some  of  the  wisest  statutes  that  ever  emanated 
from  the  British  senate  ;  or  whether,  from  political 
motives,  or  with  a  mistaken  notion  of  the  interests 
or  security  of  the  province,  or  by  what  other  mo- 
tives they  have  been  actuated  I  know  not,  but  it 
has  been  endeavoured,  in  the  face  of  a  British 
statute,  to  interdict  the  admission  of  people  com- 
ing from  the  United  States,  avowedly  with  the 
2 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  431 

intention  of  becoming  subjects,  by  taking  the  oaths 
of  allegiance,  and  settling  in  the  country.  These 
reasons,  Sir,  will  go  a  great  way  in  elucidating  your 
query,  of  "  What  are  the  causes  that  retard  the 
settlement  of  the  country."  Let  these  prohibitions 
be  done  away,  and  proclaim  the  high  way  from 
which  this  country  can  derive  an  efficacious  po- 
pulation, open,  and  wealth  and  prosperity  will 
again  smile  upon  it.  It  has  been  said,  but  with- 
out foundation,  that  it  is  not  safe  to  admit  Ameri- 
cans amongst  us  ;  that  their  politics  are  dangerous 
to  our  monarchical  institutions,  and  that  if  encou- 
ragement were  given  to  them,  they  would  ultimate- 
ly become  dangerous  to  the  government ;  but  I 
would  beg  leave  to  tell  such,  that  if  it  had  not 
been  for  Americans,  or  emigrants  from  thence, 
immediately  after  the  rebellion,  and  long  since, 
that  this  fine  country,  now  so  flourishing,  would 
in  all  probability  be  yet  a  howling  wilderness  ;  and 
let  me  further  tell,  that  such  men,  and  their  im- 
mediate descendants,  behaved  during  the  late  war 
with  the  United  States,  with  as  much  fidelity  and 
loyalty  to  his  Majesty's  government  as  any  natural 
born  subject  could  do ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  their 
zeal  and  gallantry,  we  might  perhaps  at  this  time 
been  a  province  of  America,  and  enjoying  all  the 
blessings  of  republican  fraternity.  Thus  debarred 
from  getting  a  wealthy  and  industrious  emigration 
from  the  United  States,  the  country  is  in  a  great 
measure  left  to  its  own  natural  means  of  population. 
Another  cause  which  may  be  named  as  powerfully 
operating  against  the  settlement  of  the  country  gene- 


432  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

rally,  is  the  large  and  fine  portions  of  it  which  are 
locked  up  as  crown  and  clergy  reserves.  Large 

tracts  are  likewise  held  by  the  o rs  of  g 1 

and  absentees,  who  will  not  sell  but  at  an  exorbi- 
tant price,  thus  putting  it  out  of  the  power  of  the 
industrious  poor  man  to  add  his  mite  to  the  general 
advancement  and  prosperity  of  the  colony. 

Religion,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  has  hitherto  been  but 
of  secondary  consideration.  This,  however,  is 
not  to  be  ascribed  to  the  general  immoral  character 
of  the  people,  who  are  naturally  of  pious  and  or- 
derly habits  ;  but  is  to  be  attributed  more  to  the 
seeming  disregard  of  the  head  of  the  established 
church  in  the  Canadas,  under  whose  immediate 
care  and  protection  it  more  especially  belongs ;  and 
although  this  parish  is  one  of  the  few  which  can 
boast  of  a  church  regularly  dedicated  to  the  form 
of  the  worship  of  the  church  of  England,  we  have 
the  mortification  to  say,  that  in  twenty  years  we 
have  had  but  one  solitary  visit  from  the  lord  bishop 
of  the  diocese.  While  such  apathy  prevailed 
for  the  advancement  of  the  interest  of  the  mother 
church,  other  sects  and  denominations  were  not 
idle,  and  the  result  has  proved,  that  their  labours 
have  been  but  too  successful ;  as  our  church  con- 
gregation, which  was  once  respectable,  is  now  al- 
most dwindled  to  nought.  One  good  thing,  how- 
ever, has  resulted  to  us  from  his  lordship's  visit. 
A  representation  was  drawn  up  to  him  by  the 
parishioners,  requesting  a  clergyman  ;  upon  which 
one  was  sent  us  from  England  last  spring;  and  al- 
though his  efforts  have  not  hitherto  added  to  the 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  433 

number  of  the  congregation,  yet  he  has  served  to 
keep  the  remnant  of  the  flock  from  the  jaws  of  the 
all-devouring  wolf;  and  if  proper  perseverance  is 
shewn,  the  good  cause  may  yet  ultimately  prevail. 
Independent  of  the  regular  church  there  is  one  of 
the  Methodist  denomination,  which  is  generally 
numerously  attended.  The  Baptists  are  likewise 
a  numerous  body  in  the  parish ;  but  having  as  yet 
no  public  place  of  worship,  their  meetings  are  for 
the  most  part  held  in  private  houses;  but  the  pre- 
vailing religion  of  this  township  may  be  classed 
under  Presbyterians  and  Methodists. 

The  state  of  education  is  also  at  a  very  low  ebb, 
not  only  in  this  township,  but  generally  through- 
out the  district ;  although  the  liberality  of  the  le- 
gislature has  been  great  in  support  of  the  district 
schools,  (giving  to  the  teachers  of  each  1001. 
per  annum),  yet  they  have  been  productive  of 
little  or  no  good  hitherto,  for  this  obvious  cause, 
they  are  looked  upon  as  seminaries  exclusively 
instituted  for  the  education  of  the  children  of  the 
more  wealthy  classes  of  society,  and  to  which  the 
poor  man's  child  is  considered  as  unfit  to  be  ad- 
mitted. From  such  causes,  instead  of  their  being 
a  benefit  to  the  province,  they  are  sunk  into  ob- 
scurity, and  the  heads  of  most  of  them  are  at  this 
moment  enjoying  their  situations  as  comfortable 
sinecures.  Another  class  of  schools  has  within 
a  short  time  been  likewise  founded  upon  the 
liberality  of  the  legislative  purse,  ^denominated 
common  or  parish  schools,  but  like  the  preceding, 
the  anxiety  of  the  teacher  employed,  seems  more 

FF 


434  NIAGARA   DISTRICT, 

alive  to  his  stipend  than  the  advancement  of  the 
education  of  those  placed  under  his  care:  from  the 
pecuniary  advantages  thus  held  out,  we  have  been 
inundated  with  the  worthless  scum,  under  the  cha- 
racter of  schoolmasters,  not  only  of  this,  but  of 
every  other  country  where  the  knowledge  has 
been  promulgated,  of  the  easy  means  our  laws  af- 
ford of  getting  a  living  here,  by  obtaining  a  parish 
school,  which  is  done  upon  the  recommendation 
of  some  few  freeholders,  getting  his  salary  from 
the  public,  and  making  his  employers  contribute 
handsomely  besides. 

It  is  true,  rules  are  laid  down  for  their  govern- 
ment, and  the  proper  books  prescribed  for  their 
use ;  but  scarcely  in  one  case  in  ten  are  they  ad- 
hered to,  for  in  the  same  class  you  will  frequently 
see  one  child  with  Noah  Webster's  spelling  book 
in  his  hand,  and  the  next  with  Lindley  Murray's. 
However  prone  the  teachers  are  to  variety  in  their 
schools,  much  blame  is  to  be  attributed  to  the 
trustees,  who  are  in  many  instances  too  careless, 
and  I  might  almost  add  too  ignorant  to  discriminate 
right  from  wrong,  in  the  trust  they  have  under- 
taken for  the  public  benefit.  It  is  therefore  not 
to  be  wondered  at  why  the  parish  school  system 
should  meet  with  almost  universal  reprobation  from 
most  discerning  men. 

Of  these  parish  schools,  we  are  burdened  with 
a  liberal  share,  having  no  less  than  three  of  them. 
If  the  establishment  of  this  system  was  meant  by 
the  legislature  to  abbreviate  the  present  enormous 
price  of  education,  they  have  been  miserably  de- 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  435 

ceived;  for  I  can  see  no  alteration  or  reduction 
from  the  charge  made  before  the  passing  of  the  act. 
The  price  then  was  12s.  6d.,  and  is  now  the  same 
per  quarter. 

We  have  hitherto  been  blessed  with  so  healthy 
a  climate,  as  to  require  little  or  no  aid  from  medi- 
cal men,  the  consequence,  therefore,  is,  that  there 
is  none  in  the  parish,  the  nearest  to  us  being  six 
miles,  whose  practice  is  not  too  lucrative  from  the 
country  12  miles  round. 

Fulling  is  regulated  by  the  quality  of  the  dye, 
and  description  of  work  bestowed  on  the  yard  of 
cloth;  but  may  be  estimated  at  from  Is.  6d.  to 
3s.  per  yard  when  finished. 

No  minerals  of  any  consequence  have  yet  been 
discovered,  although  the  face  of  the  country  in- 
dicates it  as  favourable  to  such  productions.  In 
many  parts,  salt  springs  have  shewn  themselves, 
and  little  doubt  exists  but  the  solid  strata  of  this 
necessary  article  lays  at  no  great  depth  below  the 
surface.  On  the  summit  of  the  ridge  numerous 
specimens  of  marine  fossils,  and  petrifactions,  are 
to  be  found,  all  which  indicate  that  the  country  has, 
at  some  remote  period,  been  covered  with  water. 

With  respect  to  the  advantages  possessed  by 
this  township  for  internal  communication,  or  na- 
vigation, nature  indeed  has  been  lavish  of  her  gifts, 
both  in  a  commercial  and  political  point  of  view. 
It  is  washed  by  lake  Ontario  in  front,  which  af- 
fords a  good  roadstead  for  the  vessels  that  come  to 
carry  off  the  superabundant  produce  of  the  country. 
From  the  lake  to  the  village,  where  the  principal 
F  F  9 


436  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

mills  are  established,  is  about  a  mile,  and  from 
here  vessels  carrying  6  or  800  barrels  of  flour,  are 
generally  loaded  in  a  day ;  but  this  is  of  minor 
importance  to  what  nature  has  done  for  its  interior. 
After  you  ascend  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain, 
to  where  the  creek  makes  a  rumbling  fall  of  about 
2,5  feet,  it  immediately  becomes,  by  the  help  of  a 
small  dam,  a  natural  navigable  canal,  running  in  a 
southerly  direction  towards  the  Chippawa,  which 
in  a  right  line  does  not  exceed  a  distance  of  nine 
miles  from  the  fall  just  mentioned:  through  this 
tract  there  is  no  difficulty  whatever  in  uniting  the 
waters  of  the  Chippawa  with  those  of  the  Forty 
Mile  Creek,  there  being  no  rising  ground  be- 
tween them,  and  the  make  of  the  country  has  a 
gentle  descent  to  facilitate  the  run  of  the  water 
to  lake  Ontario.  Indeed,  were  it  necessary,  I  might 
have  extended  my  views  of  its  superior  internal 
advantages  from  the  Chippawa  to  the  Grand  river, 
a  distance  of  only  six  miles  more,  which  has  al- 
ready been  surveyed,  and  a  fall  of  between  six 
and  seven  feet  has  been  ascertained  in  this  short 
distance. 

So  strongly  are  the  inhabitants  of  this  and  the 
neighbouring  townships  convinced  of  the  practica- 
bility of  it,  that  measures  have  been  taken  at  their 
own  ex  pence  to  have  a  survey  made  of  the  most 
advantageous  ground  between  the  nearest  points 
of  the  Forty  Mile  Creek  and  Chippawa.  Was  this 
communication  once  opened,  its  political  import- 
ance would  immediately  manifest  itself  in  the 
event  of  a  future  war,  as  affording  a  safe  and  direct 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  437 

inland  navigation  from  this  part  of  lake  Ontario 
to   the   naval    establishment    at    the    mouth    of 
the    Grand    river.       Its    commercial    advantages 
would  be  the  opening  a  short  and  safe  route  for 
the  produce  of  the  country  west   of  the  Grand 
river  and  the  upper  parts  of  lake  Erie  into  lake 
Ontario.     Thus,  in  both  cases,  avoiding  the  dan- 
gerous coast  navigation,  and  the  circuitous  route 
of  the  Niagara,  subject  at  all  times  in  case  of  war 
to   the    inroads  and  obstructions  of  the  enemy. 
Before  the  late  war  with  the  United  States,  the 
roads  generally  throughout  the  country  were  very 
bad,   duriug    the  existence  of  which,  the  public 
service  very  often  suffered  by  it.     The  common 
way   of  opening,   making,  and  keeping  roads  in 
repair,  is   by  statute   labour,    apportioned   to   the 
assessments  or  rates  paid  by  the  householders  in 
each  township.     Thus,  if  a  person  is  assessed  to  the 
amount  of  £100,  his  proportion  of  labour  for  that 
year  is  six  days,  and  so  on  in  proportion  as  his 
rates  advance,  until    it  amounts  to   twelve   days, 
which    is    the    highest,    and   which  seems    alto- 
gether out  of  reason,  compared  with  the  poor  m^n, 
whose  smallest  quantum  is  three  days,  and  wh-  se 
assessment  is  perhaps  a  cow,  value  ;3d.  tax.     This 
system  has  long  since  been  found  rotten,   and  has 
been   often   attempted   to  be  m>-  uerated    by   the 
legislature  at  different  times  ;    but   hitherto,  with 
little  advantage  to  the  public  ;  and  the  reason   s  in 
some  degree  evident,  for  when  a  man  is  order,  d 
to  do  his  statute  labour  on  the  highways,  he  con- 
siders it  as  so  much  of  his  time  lost,  or  of  no  protit 


438  NIAGARA    DISTRICT. 

to  him :  hence  arises  the  indifference  with  which 
he  does  his  day's  labour,  and  it  often  happens  that 
the  most  rigid  overseer  (who  is  elected  annually 
from  the  parish),  cannot  get  even  the  most  willing 
of  his  party  to  do  justice  to  his  task.     It  is  true 
that  the  law  provides  for  a  commutation  in  money 
in  lieu  of  labour,  at  a  certain  fixed  rate  per  day  ; 
but  this  is  seldom  resorted  to.     The  road  laws 
being    thus    radically  bad,  would  require  radical 
revision.      One   essential   step   towards  effecting 
this  improvement  in  our  road  police,  and  which 
is  of  the  greatest  importance  towards  the  internal 
improvement  and  prosperity  of  the  country,  would 
be  to  abolish  the  present  system  of  personal  labour, 
and  substitute  a  certain  moderate  rate  in  money 
per  diem,  in  lieu  thereof.     The  sum  thus  assessed 
in  cash,  and  judiciously  expended  under  proper 
superintendance,  would  be  the  means  of  improving 
the  roads  yearly,  far  more  than  the  present  system, 
and  I  am  convinced  would  give  much  more  satis- 
faction to  the  public,  and  the  tax  would  be  paid 
with  cheerfulness. 

At  the  close  of  the  late  war,  the  legislature  with 
great  liberality  granted  such  a  sum  of  money  for 
the  improvement  of  the  principal  roads  in  the  dis- 
trict, which  in  the  opinion  of  discerning  men, 
would  have  (if  judiciously  expended)  almost  turn- 
piked  the  whole  of  them :  but  it  is  a  melancholy 
fact,  that  much  of  it  was  expended  where  it  was 
not  wanted ;  and  where  improvement  was  actually 
required,  in  many  instances  totally  neglected. 
In  mowing  and  harvest,  the  price  of  labour  is 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  439 

mostly  governed  by  the  demand  ;  but  in  all  cases 
they  never  fail  to  make  you  pay  well,  for  I  have 
known  in  many  instances,  and  successive  seasons, 
two  dollars  per  day  paid  to  a  mower  or  cradler. 

The  wages  of  this  class  of  people  in  the  district 
of  Niagara,  (for  I  do  not  confine  my  observation  to 
this  parish  alone)  are  exorbitant,  and  far  beyond 
what  the  present  prices  of  the  products  of  the 
country  will  or  can  bear ;  hence  the  necessity  of 
bringing  all  these  species  of  labour  to  a  proper 
level,  by  giving  encouragement  to  emigration  into 
the  province  of  this  class  of  people. 

In  your  queries  there  are  a  number  of  the  me- 
chanics whom  you  have  not  noticed,  and  whom 
you  may  probably  not  conceive  as  necessary  to 
your  purpose,  but  who,  I  assure  you,  deserve  as 
conspicuous  a  place  in  your  statistical  pages  as  any 
other.  Among  them  I  may  enumerate  weavers, 
tailors,  shoemakers,  &c.  I  have  often  heard  my 
neighbours  assert,  that  it  was  full  as  cheap  to  go  to 
the  store  and  buy  English  broad  cloth  as  to  make 
homespun,  for  this  obvious  reason,  that  by  the 
time  it  went  through  the  hands  of  the  carder,  the 
spinner,  the  weaver,  the  fuller,  and  the  dyer,  it 
cost  him  more  per  yard  than  the  English,  and  ge- 
nerally of  inferior  quality. 

A  woman  has  from  six  to  eight  dollars  per 
month  for  home-work,  and  for  spinning  nearly  as 
much.  The  weaver  has,  for  weaving  a  yard  of 
common  flannel,  from  Is.  to  Is.  6d.  The  tailor 
has  from  four  to  five  dollars  for  making  you  a  coat, 
and  in  proportion  for  other  garments ;  and  a  shoe- 


440  NIAGARA    DISTRICT. 

maker  will  ask  you  three  dollars  for  a  pair  of  shoes. 
From  this  statement  you  will  not  be  much  sur- 
prised at  the  rapidity  with  which  all  kinds  of  me- 
chanics accumulate  property,  and  slip  as  it  were  at 
once  into  a  state  of  ease  and  affluence  unknown  to 
the  European  mechanic  of  the  same  description, 
who  very  frequently  has  not,  when  Saturday  night 
comes  round,  to  afford  from  his  labour  wherewithal 
to  afford  a  scanty  pittance  to  pass  the  Sabbath 
before  he  again  resumes  his  weekly  toil.  These 
are  the  sort  of  people  whose  emigration  to  this 
country  ought  to  be  encouraged  in  preference  to 
most  others,  for  they  would  become  doubly  useful, 
first,  as  being  the  means  of  reducing  the  price  of 
mechanical  labour,  and  secondly,  as  ultimately  be- 
coming good  settlers,  from  the  knowledge  they 
would  acquire  of  the  customs  and  habits  of  the 
country,  and  at  the  same  time  enriching  himself  by 
his  trade. 

Although  there  are  large  tracts  uncultivated  in 
the  township,  yet  literally  speaking,  there  is  little 
or  none  for  sale.  The  uncultivated  tracts,  belong- 
ing mostly  to  the  early  settlers,  who,  perhaps,  an- 
ticipating  a  numerous  offspring,  prudently  pro- 
vided, when  in  their  power,  for  what  is  to  come. 
Nor,  has  their  foresight  been  ill  judged,  for  their 
lands  are  now  more  or  less  falling  under  cultivation, 
almost  daily,  by  their  children.  The  price,  how- 
ever, of  wild  land,  may  be  taken  at  from  three  to 
six  dollars,  according  to  situation  and  quality,  but 
oftener  over  than  under  these  prices.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  settlement,  lands  may  be  said  to 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  441 

have  had  no  value;  but  from  the  year  1794-  to  1800, 
the  price  was  from  25  to  100  dollars  for  200  acres ; 
since  which  it  has  been  progressively  rising,  so 
that  the  same  cannot  now  be  bought  at  an  advance 
of  from  6  to  800  per  cent. ;  and  as  the  government 
grants  diminish,  there  is  no  saying  to  what  height 
they  may  attain  ;  but  more  especially  if  American 
emigration  is  permitted. 

The  late  war  having  drained  the  country  of 
horses,  horned  cattle,  and  sheep,  their  prices  have 
continued  high;  but  the  stock  being  now  nearly 
equal  to  what  it  was,  prior  to  that  event,  they  have 
declined. 

Your  obedient  Servant, 

WM.  CROOKS. 

Grimaby,  January  IZth,  1818. 

To  Mr.  ROBERT  GOURI.AY,  Queenston. 


PELHAM. 


8th.  In  this  township  there  is  one  fulling  mill, 
and  one  carding  machine.  The  price  of  inch  boards 
(pine)  is  ,5s.  per  100  feet,  3  quarters  ditto,  3s.  9d. 
per  100  feet ;  when  timber,  taken  to  the  mill,  saw- 
yers charge  2s.  6d.  per  100  feet  for  inch  boards. 
The  price  of  wool  carding  has  been  6^d.  per  Ib. 
this  season. 

9th.  The  northern  part  of  this  township  is  rather 
uneven,  or  it  may,  perhaps,  more  properly  be  deno- 
minated hilly,  but  watered  with  excellent  springs : 


442  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

the  southern  part  is  very  even,  or  level,  and  not  so 
well  supplied  with  water.  With  respect  to  soils, 
we  may  name  them  in  the  following  order:  sand, 
loam,  clay,  and  gravel. 

10th.  There  is  a  variety  of  timber  produced  in  this 
township ;  among  the  most  useful  kinds  we  enu- 
merate the  following:  beech,  white  oak,  pine, 
sugar  maple,  elm,  chestnut,  ash,  hickory,  and 
poplar. 

llth.  In  the  southern  part,  iron  ore,  of  that  kind 
denominated  bog,  has  been  discovered  in  small 
quantities :  we  know  not  of  any  other  minerals, 
except  a  small  sulphur  spring. 

12th.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  township  are  im- 
mense quarries  of  limestone,  and  two  quarries  of 
freestone  have  been  opened  lately. 

15th.  The  price  of  an  axe,  12s.  6d. ;  the  price  of  a 
hoe,  5s. ;  shoeing  a  horse,  2s.  6d.  per  shoe  ;  making 
log,  or  ox  chains,  lid.  per  Ib. 

17th.  Price  of  mowing  grass,  3s.  9d.  per  day  ; 
reaping,  3s.  9d.  per  day  ;  cradling,  5s.  per  day. 

26th.  On  low  lands,  where  the  growth  of  timber 
has  been  principally  beech  and  maple,  grass  seed  is 
sown  with  the  first  crop  of  wheat,  and  the  land 
kept  under  grass,  either  for  pasture  or  mowing,  for 
four  or  five  years,  or  until  the  roots  are  sufficiently 
decayed  to  admit  of  ploughing;  it  is  then  broken 
up,  and  sown  with  wheat,  and  then  put  under 
grass  for  two,  three,  or  four  years.  On  high  sandy 
or  gravelly  lands,  where  the  growth  of  timber  is 
chiefly  oak,  pine,  and  chestnut,  the  land  is  sown 
with  rye  immediately  after  the  first  crop  of  wheat 

3 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  443 

is  taken  off;  but  where  the  quantity  of  cleared 
land  is  so  small,  there  is  scarcely  such  a  thing  as  a 
regular  course  of  cropping ;  the  necessities  of  the 
farmer  will  seldom  admit  of  it.  Little  attention 
has  been  paid  to  the  manuring  of  land  in  this 
township  ;  one  farmer,  the  last  season,  made  a  trial 
of  plaster  of  Paris,  brought  from  the  Grand  river 
(on  a  small  scale),  both  on  wheat  and  grass ;  the 
success  was  such  as  to  encourage  a  future  trial. 
When  manure  is  used,  it  is  generally  to  promote 
the  growth  of  Indian  corn  and  potatoes. 

27th.  Letting  land  upon  shares  is  not  practised  to 
any  extent ;  when  let,  the  landlord  reserves  one- 
third  of  the  produce. 

28th.  When  the  settlement  of  this  township  com- 
menced, wild  land  was  selling  at  61.  10s.  per  one 
hundred  acres ;  in  the  year  1800,  at  10s.  per  acre ; 
the  present  price  is  40s.  per  acre.  The  quantity 
of  land  for  sale  now  does  not  seem  to  be  easily 
ascertained,  though  we  believe  the  quantity  to  be 
small. 

30th.  The  roads  in  this  township  are  not  in  a 
great  degree  of  forwardness,  but  capable  of  great 
improvement  at  a  small  expence. 

AMOS  CHAPMAN,  ELI  BRADSHAW, 

ZENAS  FELL,  AMOS  SCOTT, 

ELIJAH  PFIELPS,  JOSEPH  WILLSON, 

GEORGE  BRADSHAW,  LEWIS  WILLSON, 

PETER  BECKETT,  THADDEUS  DAVIS. 

SAMUEL  BECKETT,  STEPHEN  BECKETT, 

JESSE  WILLSON,  JOHN  M'GLASHEN. 
JOHN  TAYLOR, 

Pelham,  Dec.  6,  1817. 


444  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 


POSTSCRIPT. 

The  ridge,  as  it  is  called  in  this  township,  is  the 
highest  land  in  the  district,  being  500  i'eet  higher 
than   lake   Ontario:    it   commences   about   half  a 
mile  east  of  the  eastern  limit  of  the  township,  and 
extends  westwardly  nearly  four  miles;  the  base  is 
generally  two  miles  in  width  ;  the  ascent  on   the 
northern  side  is  mostly  pretty  abrupt,  but  on  the 
southern  side  much   more  gentle  and  easy.     The 
soil  upon  this  ridge  is  generally,  and   for  the  most 
part,  of  the  coarsest  kind;  when  first  cleared,  yields 
excellent  wheat,  though  not  in  large  quantities; 
it  produces  rye,  buckwheat,  and  Indian  corn.  From 
the  same  point,  on  the  eastern  extremity  of  this 
ridge,  may  be  seen  the  two  great  lakes  Erie  and 
Ontario ;   and  in   calm  weather,   the  mist  of  the 
cataract,  rising  like  a  cloud  in  the  eastern  horizon. 
It   was   over   this   section    of  this  township    the 
dreadful  tornado,  on  Sunday,  the  1st  of  July,  1792, 
passed,  which  laid  prostrate  almost  every  tree  that 
stood  in  its  course.     Before  this,  it  was  covered 
with  chestnut,  oak,  and  some  pine  timber,  and  was 
reckoned,  on  account  of  its  openness,  being  entirely 
free  from  underwood,  the  handsomest  tract  of  land 
in  the  township.     Since  the  hurricane,  it  has  fre- 
quently been  burned,  which  destroys  the  young 
timber,  a  majority  of  which  is  a  kind,  here  deno- 
minated, asp  or  aspen. 

I  am,  your  most  devoted  Servant, 

ELI  BRADSHAW, 
Mr.  Robert  Gourlay. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  445 

THOROLD. 

WE  the  inhabitants  of  the  township  of  Thorold, 
at  a  meeting  held  at  Thorold  for  the  purpose,  give 
the  following  as  a  true  description  of  the  said  town- 
ship. 

The  face  of  the  land  is  level :  the  chief  part  of 
the  timber  beech  and  sugar  maple,  with  plenty  of 
white  pine  and  oak ;  black  walnut ;  and  a  variety 
of  other  timber. 

The  soil  chiefly  clay  and  loam;  produces,  be- 
sides wheat,  pease,  good  oats,  barley,  rye,  Indian 
corn,  and  buckwheat.  Our  meadows  generally 
yield  from  one  to  three  tons  of  timothy  and  clover 
hay  per  acre ;  and  our  fields  afford  good  pasture 
from  the  1st  of  May  to  the  1st  of  December,  four 
months  being  the  ordinary  time  for  feeding  cattle  in 

the  winter. 

m 

The  price  of  beef  is  five  dollars  per  lOOlb. 
There  is  in  the  township  one  oil  mill,  and  2  carding 
machines. 

The  present  price  for  an  improved  or  cultivated 
farm,  say  200  acres,  with  good  buildings  and 
orchard,  from  15  to  25  dollars  per  acre. 

To  MR.  ROBERT  GOURLAY. 

This  short  and  simple   statement  of  the  above 
township,  is  at  your  service  to  correct  and  publish, 
if  you  think  proper,  as  it  is  attested  by  twelve  of 
the  most  respectable  inhabitants. 
GARRET  VANDERJJVRGH,  Town  Clerk. 
JACOB  UPPER,  ANTHONY  UPPER, 

JOHN  DECOU,  And  nine  others. 

Thorold,  %6th  Aot>.  1817. 

2 


446  NIAGARA  DISTRICT. 

CROWLAND. 

Crowland,  Dec.  23,  1817. 

MR.  ROBERT  GOURLAY. 
SIR, 

PURSUANT    to  your  inclination,  and 

anxious  to  facilitate  the  good  of  our  country,  I 
offer  the  following  reply  to  your  address  of  the 
30th  of  October  last.  Being  unable  to  obtain  a 
meeting  for  the  purpose,  I  took  the  task  on  myself, 
which  I  could  wish  to  have  been  performed  by  an 
abler  hand.  I  have  taken  the  subsequent  signature 
of  a  few  creditable  inhabitants  of  this  township, 
who  casually  fell  in  my  way. 

JOSEPH  CURRANT, 
Town  Clerk. 

9th.  The  soil  is  various,  and  much  given  to  grass, 
consisting  of  white,  blue,  and  red  clay,  black  and 
grey  sand,  in  spots,  coming  near  to  gravel  it- 
self, black  mould,  and  yellow  loam  ;  all  these  are 
sometimes  found  in  the  compass  of  an  acre,  but 
clay  is  most  prevalent.  The  surface  remarkably 
level,  except  two  spots  near  the  southern  limit, 
where  it  approaches  to  small  eminences. 

10th.  The  ground  in  its  uncultivated  state  is  tim- 
bered with  white  oak,  swamp  white  oak,  Spanish  or 
red  oak,  sugar  and  red  maple,  bass  or  linden,  beech, 
hickory,  and  iron  wood,  and  in  some  places,  heavy 
growths  of  white  pine  ;  in  others,  a  species  of  sy- 
camore, some  butternut,  black  walnut,  elm,  and 
black  and  white  ash. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  447 

llth.  The  only  mineral  found  here  is  bog  iron 
ore  in  small  quantities, frequently  in  marshy  places; 
springs  of  a  saline  tincture  are  frequent. 

15th.  Ox  chains  and  irons,  &c.  are  sold  for 
Is.  3d,  per  Ib.  Carpenters  have  10s.  per  hundred 
for  framing ;  bricklayers,  7s.  6d.  per  day,  and  10s. 
per  1000  for  laying. 

16th.  Women's  wages,  per  week,  for  house  work, 
7s.  6d. ;  for  spinning,  6s.  3d.  The  cradler's  wages, 
per  day,  for  cutting  wheat,  is  one  bushel  of  the 
same,  or  its  price  ;  the  reapers  three-fourths  ;  the 
mowers  of  grass  for  hay  the  same. 

18th.  Wood  lands  are  cleared  and  fenced  for 
31.  2s.  6d.  per  acre,  board,  lodging,  and  the  use  of 
team,  given  withal. 

26th.  Manure  is  best  applied  to  land  in  winter, 
while  in  grass. 

27th.  A  cropper  on  new  lands,  customarily  takes 
three  successive  yearly  crops  for  his  labour,  of  clear- 
ing and  fencing  ;  when  the  cropper  breaks  the  land 
from  grass,  the  owner  of  the  soil  commonly  claims 
one-third  of  the  crop. 

A  farm  let  on  shares  brings  to  its  owner  one- 
third  of  all  the  grain,  with  half  the  hay  it  produces ; 
this  is  little  practised,  as  most  people  can  have  land 
of  their  own. 

28th.  A  farm  of  100  acres,  nearly  contiguous  to 
mills,  with  about  40  cleared,  and  very  mean  build- 
ings, was  lately  sold  for  3121.  10s. 

As  a  price  would  purchase  all  the  lands  in  the 
township,  so  the  quantity  for  sale  is  limited.  Most 
of  the  public  roads  are  capable  of  beneficial  im- 
provement, at  a  tolerable  expence. 


448  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

30th.  Lyons  creek,  a  sluggish  stream  of  blackish 
water,  rises  in  the  swamps  an d  marshes  of  Humber- 
ston  and  Wainfleet,  near  lake  Erie,  and  entering 
Crowland  at  its  southern  limit,  passes  through  at  a 
north-easterly  direction,  falls  into  Chippawa  one  mile 
above  its  mouth  in  the  township  of  Willoughby, 
from  whence  it  is  navigable  for  boats  and  batteaux 
seven  miles  up,  where  it  furnishes  an  excellent 
mill  seat,  occupied  by  Cook's  mills.  Here  is  a 
town  in  embryo  ;  this  spot  claims  notice  as  being 
the  place  of  a  brisk  action  between  a  detachment 
of  the  British  army  and  that  of  the  Americans,  on 
the  morning  of  the  19th  Oct,  1814.  Two  miles 
above  this,  on  the  bank  of  the  creek,  near  Hum- 
berston,  is  a  spring  whereof  salts  have  been  made, 
reputed  to  be  equal  in  quality,  as  an  aperient,  to 
Glauber's  sajts.  This  spring  is  capable  of  pro- 
ducing large  quantities. 

Nature  invites  art,  in  strong  terms,  to  open  a 
canal  between  lake  Erie  and  this  creek,  promising 
the  expence  to  be  inconsiderable,  as  well  as  reduce 
the  carriage  of  commodities,  from  about  42  miles 
to  19,  and  render  the  navigation  entirely  safe,  be- 
sides conveying  pure  water  through  this  part  of  the 
country,  which  is  a  very  desirable  object. 

31st.  Lack  of  money,  and  something  to  expel  a 
torpid  spirit,  most  impedes  the  improvement  of  this 
township,  and  perhaps  the  province  in  general ; 
plenty  of  cash  in  circulation,  and  a  proper  stimu- 
lation to  enterprise,  it  is  believed,  would  be  the 
best  applicable  remedy. 
CALVIN  COOK,  RICHARD  YOKOM, 

SAMUEL  YOKOM,  And  eigkt  others. 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  449 

WAINFLEET. 

2CM/i  Dec.  1817. 
SIR, 

WE  the  undersigned,  according  to  the 
request  of  your  circular  letter  of  October,  called  a 
meeting  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  township  of 
Wainfleet,  and  resolved  on  the  following  answers  to 
your  queries. 

9th.  Generally  clay  soil. 

10th.  Timber — beech  and  maple,  interspersed 
with  hickory,  oak,  walnut,  pine,  black  and  white 
ash. 

llth.  No  minerals  discovered  ;  a  great  quantity 
of  limestone  of  the  very  best  quality. 

12th.  Abundance  of  building  stone  of  the  best 
kind,  at  10s.  per  toise. 

16th.  Women  servants  per  week  for  house  work 
.5s.  ;  spinning  3s.  9d. 

17th.  Price  of  mowing  and  reaping  3s.  9d.  ; 
cradling  wheat  5s.  per  day. 

25th.  The  quality  of  our  pasture  is  principally 
white  clover  and  timothy;  this  most  generally  rises 
spontaneously. 

26th.  When  cleared,  the  land  is  sowed  without 
ploughing,  only  harrowed  in  ;  after  this  first  crop, 
it  must  remain  three  years  in  pasture,  in  order  to  rot 
out  the  roots  ;  the  land  is  sufficiently  strong  to 
bear  10  or  15  years  without  manure. 

28th.  There  are  22  square  miles  of  marsh  land 
owned  by  government,  which  if  drained,  would  be 

G  G 


450  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

preferable  to  any  other  land  in  the  province  for 
growing  hemp,  &c.;  its  soil  or  surface  is  three  feet 
deep ;  it  lies  almost  as  high  as  the  highest  land 
between  it  and  the  river  Welland,  which  river  is 
Id  feet  lower  than  the  said  marsh,  at  the  distance 
of  two  miles  therefrom,  and  several  creeks  of  con- 
siderable magnitude  run  out  of  said  marsh  into 
the  river  Welland,  and  also  to  lake  Erie  :  if  the 
heads  of  these  creeks  were  opened  a  small  distance 
into  said  marsh,  it  would  sufficiently  drain  the 
land  for  a  considerable  distance  around  them ;  at 
each  and  every  of  those  creeks  so  running  from  said 
marsh,  would  be  excellent  mill  seats,  that  would 
be  of  the  greatest  consequence  ;  the  whole  expence 
of  draining  this  marsh  would  not  exceed  60s. 
average  the  whole  per  acre. 

29th.  There  is  about  four  thousand  acres  of  land 
owned  by  individuals  for  sale. 

30th.  Our  roads  are  in  a  bad  state,  but  capable 
of  much  improvement,  at  a  moderate  expence. 
On  the  north  side  of  township  is  river  Welland; 
the  depths  of  the  river  15  to  25  feet,  and  breadth 
on  an  average  300.  It  is  a  complete  water  con- 
veyance ;  also  there  might  be  a  canal  cut  from  the 
said  Welland  across  the  marsh.  To  Morgan's  bay, 
in  lake  Erie,  the  distance  is  6  miles  and  28  chains  : 
said  canal  commencing  16  miles  from  mouth  of 
said  Welland,  which  would  be  20  miles  short  of 
the  present  route  :  we  are  of  opinion  that  said 
canal  might  be  furnished  with  water  out  of  said 
marsh,  sufficient  to  carry  craft  fully  20  tons  bur- 
den :  said  canal  would  not  require  to  be  cut 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  451 

exceeding  6  feet  deep ;  also  an  excellent  road 
naturally  would  be  made  with  the  earth  thrown 
out  of  said  canal,  which  would  be  of  the  greatest 
service  to  this  and  the  adjoining  townships,  as  it  at 
present  prevents  any  communication  without 
going  the  distance  of  23  miles,  whereas  it  could 
be  accomplished  by  the  short  route  of  6  miles  and 
28  chains,  by  said  road  passing  along  said  canal. 

31st.  The  above  described  marsh  divides  our 
township  into  two  separate  settlements ;  the  one 
on  the  shore  of  lake  Erie,  and  the  other  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river  Welland,  which  marsh,  if 
opened  as  described,  would  remove  this  obstacle. 

As  to  the  province  in  general,  a  number  of 
causes  might  be  assigned ;  but  one  great  obstacle 
is  the  tardiness  of  emigration  from  Europe;  whereas 
if  our  country  was  peopled  according  to  its  extent, 
we  then  would  calculate  on  manufactures  to  be 
set  on  foot  for  the  employ  of  artisans  and  mecha- 
nics, which  would  give  more  encouragement  to 
the  husbandman  to  prosecute  his  labours,  and 
would  become  a  reciprocal  interest  to  both  parties. 

(Signed) 

DAVID  THOMSON,  Assessor, 
THOMAS  PRIESTMAN,  Clerk. 
STEPHEN  M.  FARR,  Collector. 
SHUBAL  PARK,  King's  Deputy  Surveyor. 


CG2 


452  NIAGARA   DISTRICT, 

CANBORO'  AND  CAISTOR. 

At  a  Meeting  of  the  principal  Inhabitants  of  the 
lowmhips  of  Canboro'  and  Caistor,  held  at 
Canboro',  1st  December,  1817,  for  the  Purpose 
of  taking  into  Consideration  the  Queries  ad- 
dressed to  the  resident  Land  Owners  of  Upper 
Canada,  by  Robert  Gourlay,  Esq.  William 
Robertson  in  the  Chair,  the  following  Replies 
were  given. 

1st.  THE  township  of  Canboro'  is  within  the 
Indian  reserve,  and  is  bounded  by  Caistor,  and 
part  of  Wainfleet  on  the  north,  by  lands  of  Lord 
Selkirk  on  the  east,  by  Indian  lands  on  the  Grand 
river  south,  and  by  Indian  lands  on  the  west, 
contains  19,000  acres  of  land,  and  has  the  Oswego 
creek,  which  empties  itself  into  the  Chippawa  creek, 
about  one  mile  and  a  half  from  the  north-east  cor- 
ner, running  through  it.  The  township  of  Caistor 
is  bounded  by  Canboro'  on  the  south,  &c.  The 
Chippawa  creek  runs  through  the  front  conces- 
sions, the  length  of  the  township.  It  contains  about 
20,000  acres. 

8th.  Inch  boards  sell  at  present  in  the  propor- 
tion of  one  dollar  per  hundred  feet,  of  one  inch. 

9th.  With  the  exception  of  bottom  lands  on  the 
creeks,  which  are  a  rich  black  loam,  the  uplands 
are  generally  a  clayey  loam,  with  a  flat  surface, 
and,  where  not  cleared  or  drained,  are  wet. 

10th.  Timber — is  pine,  oak,  maple,  beech,  ash, 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  453 

hickory,  elm,  basswood,  black  walnut,  cherry,  and 
butternut. 

llth.  One  salt  spring  in  Canboro'.  In  both 
townships 'many  salt  licks,  some  bog  ore,  and  a 
little  limestone. 

12th.  No  building  stone. 

15th.  Where  iron  is  taken  to  the  blacksmith,  he 
works  it  at  the  rate  of  7|d.  per  Ib. ;  if  he  finds  it, 
Is.  3d.  per Ib. 

16th.  Women  servants  5s.  7id.  per  week,  for 
house  work,  and  6s.  3d.  for  spinning. 

17th.  Mowing  grass  3s.  9d.  per  day  ;  reaping  or 
cradling  of  wheat  5s.  per  day. 

18th.  The  cost  of  clearing  five  acres  of  wood- 
land, one  foot  and  under  (the  mode  in  this  part  of 
the  country),  and  fencing  by  contract,  would  be 
35  dollars. 

25th.  Pasture,  either  natural  or  improved,  is 
excellent. 

26th.  Wheat  upon  new  lands,  with  grass  seeds, 
broken  up  when  it  is  thought  the  stumps  are 
rotten,  generally  in  about  four  years,  and  again 
put  in  wheat.  Manure  is  applied  for  wheat  and 
potatoes,  on  old  lands. 

28th.  Where  lands  are  partially  cleared,  say  15 
acres  in  the  100,  they  sell,  on  Oswego  Creek,  at 
5  dollars  per  acre. 

29th.  In  Canboro'  7000  acres  of  wild  and  3000 
with  partial  improvements;  in  Caistor,  about  15,000 
acres  of  wild. 

30th.  Our  public  roads  are  in  a  bad  state. 
They  may  be  much  improved  at  a  moderate 


454  NIAGARA   DISTRICT. 

expence,  if  judiciously  laid  out.  Our  water 
conveyance  is  equal  to  any  in  the  country  ;  by  the 
Oswego  and  by  the  Chippawa  Creek  (which  is  a 
natural  canal)  loaded  boats  may  be  brought  up 
from  40  to  50  miles.  This  conveyance  might  be 
much  extended  and  improved  by  a  canal  cut  from 
the  Grand  river  into  the  Oswego,  a  distance  of 
five  miles,  without  a  hill  or  stone. 

31st.  Bad  roads  very  much  retard  the  improve- 
ment of  our  settlement:  we  want  men  and  means. 
We  suppose  this  to  be  the  case  with  the  country  in 
general. 

WILLIAM  ROBERTSON,  Chairman. 


SUMMARY    OF    POPULATION,    &C. 

The  Statistical  Table  exhibits  11     .   •  People- 

townships,  containing  .  .  8398 

1312  houses,  make  an  average  of 
Humberstone  contains,  houses 
Wainfleet  v        .        •;»•  ,,  J  ^ 

Which,  multiplied  by  6|,  gives     »  941 

9339 

The  townships  of  the  district  not 
reported,  are  Niagara,  Clinton, 
Gainsboro'  and  Wedderburn.  The 
three  first  being  old  settled  town- 
ships, may  average  with  the  above 
at  763  each  .  .  .  .  .  -2289 

But  we  must  add  to  the  popula* 
tion  of  Niagara  township  that  of  its 
two  villages  Niagara  and  Queen- 
ston.  In  1817  the  former  contain- 
ed, houses  . ••••  .  .  *  "  85 
The  latter,  ditto  >/  .  .  .  27 

112 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  455 

On  the  supposition  that  in  vil- 
lages such  as  these  the  number  in 
family  is  increased  by  servants, 
shopmen,  &c.  it  is  fair  to  multiply 

by 8 

896 

Wedderburn  has  been  settling 
these  two  last  years  ;  but  in  1817  I 
presume  it  did  not  contain  more 
than  four  families  V  i  .  24 


12,548 

The  greater  part  of  Wedderburn  is  occupied  with 
what  is  called  Cranberry  Marsh,  wholly  unfit  for 
cultivation  till  extensive  drainage  is  executed.  It 
extends  into  Wainfleet.  The  late  Hon.  Robert 
Hamilton,  of  Queenston,  offered  to  complete  the 
drainage,  for  half  the  land  given  to  him  in  recom- 
pense ;  but  this  liberal  offer,  which  would  have 
greatly  benefited  the  country,  was  refused  by  the 
land-board  !  !  It  remains  a  harbour  for  wolves,  and 
otherwise  a  great  nuisance. 

For  the  reported  population  of  9,339,  there  ap- 
pear to  be  eight  places  of  worship  and  ten  preach- 
ers :  viz.  five  Methodists;  one  Menonist;  one 
Quaker  ;  two  Presbyterians  ;  and  one  Episcopalian. 
There  are  six  medical  practitioners ;  46  schools; 
and  33  taverns. 

Improvement  is  said  to  be  retarded  in  five  re- 
ports by  want  of  people  :  in  three  reports  by  want 
of  money  :  in  three  reports  by  large  tracts  of  land 
owned  by  non-occupants:  in  two  reports  by  the 
prevention  of  emigration  from  the  United  States  : 
in  two  reports  by  bad  roads :  in  one  report  by  the 
crown  and  clergy  reserves :  in  one  report  by  giving 
away  land  instead  of  selling  it:  in  one  report  by 
the  land  being  all  located,  and  no  buyers :  in  one 
report  by  the  war. 


456 


STATISTICAL 


Composed  of  Extracts  from  the  Township 


WAGES  OF 

Names  of 
Townships. 

When  Settled. 

Inhabited  Houses. 

I 

"3 

1 

No.  of  Churches  or 
Places  of  Worship. 

No.  of  Preachers. 

No.  of  Medual 
Practitioner*. 

No.  of  Schools. 

Fees  per  Ouarter. 

No.  of  Stores. 
No.  of  Taverns. 

No.ofGrist  Mills. 

.2 

ji 

'•z 

r-- 

"6 
^ 

Prices  of  Bricks 
per  1000. 

Prices  of  Lime  per 

blishrl. 

J* 

1*9 

18 

a  S 

Masons  per  day. 

Carpenters  p.day. 

Commen  Labour- 
ers per  Annum. 

*.   d. 

i 

*.  d. 

s.d. 

PrM. 

*.  d.  s.  d. 

£.». 

lumber- 

1 

f  •- 

I 

stone  .. 

1787 

75 

.. 

11  Men. 

() 

0 

13    9 

2   2 

1 

\ 

37  8 

5    0 

10  010  0 

30    0 

Men. 

Bertie    .. 

178* 

200 

1600 

!<?.. 

, 

, 

11     3 

8 

1 

3 

5 

30  0 

1     3 

8  9 

6  3 

27    6 

* 

i 

Willough- 

by   .... 

1784 

63 

441 

0 

0 

0 

1 

12    6 

1 

1 

0 

2 

30  0 

•• 

4  10 

6  3 

6  d 

•• 

Stamford  . 

1784 

165 

1800 

1  P. 

1  P. 

2 

* 

15    0 

§ 

5 

1 

1 

30  0 

0  7J 

4  10 

6  3 

50 

25    0 

Grantham 

1784 

200 

,,00 

1  P. 

- 

2 

G 

12    C 

3 

6 

3 

4 

SO  0 

07i 

6     0 

100 

7  6 

27  10 

Lowth    .. 

1787 

130 

700 

0 

0 

0 

3 

3 

J 

2 

5 

30  0 

0  7$ 

6    0 

6  8 

6  8 

25     C 

Grimsby  . 

1787 

149 

805 

1  E. 

IE. 
1  M. 

0 

. 

13    0 

4 

2 

4 

6 

25  0 

o  74 

5    0 

-• 

." 

25    0 

Pelham.. 

1780 

ISO 

776 

1Q. 

0 

0 

6 

12    6 

2 

1 

, 

6 

25  0 

1     0 

5    0 

6  3 

5  0 

J.SS    0 

I 

PrD. 

IP. 

s.d. 

Thorold.. 

1788 

150 

830 

1 

i& 

0 

9 

4 

a 

1 

4 

•« 

" 

6    3 

6  3 

63 

•• 

Cropland. 

1788 

84 

600 

1M. 

0 

1 

2 

10    0 

1 

1 

1 

1 

37  6 

1  3 

5     0 

7  6 

50 

30    0 

Wain- 

Canboro' 

1803 

flft 

190 

and 
Caistor  .. 

1782 

23 

156 

O 

SM. 

0 

2 

12    6 

1 

1 

1 

4 

95  01     3 

•• 

7  6 

610 

Totals. 

.. 

1459 

8398 

8 

10 

6 

46 

134  6 

38 

33 

30 

41 

330  2 

8    1 

23  9 
&351. 

S3  11 

69  9 

269  16 

Averag- 

ed by 

... 

13 

11 

11 

11 

9 

3   &  7 

11 

11 

10 

Averages 

•• 

112 

772 

•• 

- 

- 

" 

12  2J 

» 

„ 

» 

" 

30  C 

101 

7  11 
&  51. 

7  6 

6  4 

26     19 

Q.  iii  columns  fifth  and  sixth  stands  for  Quaker ;  Men.  for  Menonist ; 


*  Although  I  have  entered  this  sum  as  it  stands  in  the  report;  yet,  as  the  reporters 
have  calculated  only  from  the  number  of  houses,  and  allowed  eight  persons  to  each  house1 


TABLE. 


457 


Reports  of  the  District  of  Niagara. 


WAGES  OF 

1  Cost  of  clearing  and 
fencing  five  Acres 
of  wild  Land. 

PRICES  OF  LIVE  STOCK. 

i 

•$. 

11 
P 

1  Price  of  Wool  per  Ib. 

1  Produce  of  wheat  in 
|  bushels,  per  acre. 

|  An  Ox  will  grain  in 
j  a  Summer's  run. 

I  Price  of  Butter, 
|  per  Ib. 

1  Price  of  ClKese. 
per  Ib. 

1 

t* 

{  Price  of  Laud  per  1 
Acre,  DOW. 

(Common  Labour- 
ers per  Wiater 
mouth. 

1  Common  Labour- 
ers per  Summer 
month. 

[Common  Labourers 
per  day  in  Harvest. 

I- 
"•£ 

,«  S 

G  ,_ 

P 

,, 

A  Work-horse. 

1 

J 

O 

a 

t 

40    0 

s.    d 
GO     0 

50 

n.d. 
5  0 

L.      8. 

L.   s. 
17  10 

5      0 

8  10 

s.d. 
12  6 

3 

s.d. 
2    6 

15 

Ib. 

s.  d. 
0  11 

s.d. 

s.d. 
0  6 

t.    A. 

12  6 

40    0 

60    0 

5  0 

5  0 

20      0 

16  10 

5    10 

10    0 

126 

3 

«    6 

15 

- 

1     0 

074 

1  3 

35  0 

40    0 

60    0 

.. 

5  0 

20      0 

17  10 

5    12 

8  15 

13  9 

34 

2    6 

22 

130 

1     0 

0  6 

1   0 

25  0 

40    0 

60    0 

4  4 

5  0 

- 

17  10 

5      0 

10    0 

150 

44 

1  10* 

20 

112 

0  10 

0  7 

1  0 

50  0 

45    0 

62    0 

4  4 

6  3 

;!£? 

15    0 

5      0 

8  15 

12  6 

34 

2     6 

20 

•• 

1     0 

074 

074 

50  0 

40    0 

50    0 

5  0 

5  7 

20      0 

15    0 

5      0 

8    0 

17  6 

3 

2    3 

20 

175 

1     0 

'4 

1  3 

50  0 

40    0 

50    0 

•• 

.. 

25      0 

12    0 

4      0 

•• 

15  0 

24 

9    6 

•- 

•- 

•• 

•• 

i  0 

- 

35    0 

50     0 

5  0 

5  0 

18    15 

150 

4      0 

8    0 

126 

3 

1    10; 

15 

- 

0  11 

'4 

1  34 

400 

45    0 

65     0 

5  0 

5  3 

--;.;, 

,5» 

5     12 

10    0 

18  9 

5 

2     0 

•• 

" 

1 

74 

0  7 

50  0 

40    0 

60    0 

•• 

" 

20    0 

6       5 

10    0 

| 
12  6 

34 

2    6 

20 

3 

111 

n| 

1  6 

200 

25    0 

55,    0 

.. 

.. 

18    15 

15    0 

4    12 

8    0 

11  0 

3 

1104 

80 

260 

I     0 

074 

5  0 

20  0 

5  0 

12  6 

GO    0 

70    0 

5  0 

5  7 

-• 

15    0 

5      0 

10    0 

12  6 

24 

2    6 

15 

275 

1     3 

1  0 

" 

" 

400    0 
12 

682 

38  8 
8 

47  8 

122  10 

191     0 

60    11 

100    0 

166  o 

40 

8741 

182 

932 

10  6 

69f 

21  0 

365  0 

19 

9 

6 

12 

12 

11 

12 

12 

12 

10 

5 

11 

10 

12 

11 

40  10 

56  10 

4  10 

5    3 

20      8 

15  11 

5       1 

9      S 

13  10 

*j 

23J 

18 

186 

1U 

0  8 

I    9 

33, 

P.  for  Presbyterian ;  E.  for  Episcopal ;  M.  for  Methodist, 


an  allowance  quite  too  much,  I  have  taken  the  liberty,  in  summing1  up,  to  deluct    10,  that 
J  may  not  pervert  my  average  calculations.— R.  G. 


458  .  HOME   DISTRICT. 

THE  HOME  DISTRICT. 


FROM  this  district  I  did  not  receive  a  single 
reply  to  my  address,  although  it  was  first  published 
here,  and  had  the  cordial  approbation  of  the  head 
magistrate  of  the  province,  as  well  as  of  every  body 
with  whom  I  held  converse.  This  may  be  as- 
cribed to  twox  causes:  first,  the  opposition  of  a 
monstrous  little  fool  of  a  parson,  who,  for  reasons 
best  known  to  himself,  fell  foul  of  the  address 
which  I  had  published,  abused  me  as  its  author, 
and  has  ever  since  laboured,  with  unremitting  ma- 
lignity, to  frustrate  its  intention. 

This  man,  unfortunately,  was  a  member  of  the 
executive  council ;  and  his  efforts,  from  that  cir- 
cumstance, were  but  too  successful.  In  another 
place  his  name,  history,  and  machinations,  shall  be 
fully  displayed. 

The  second  cause  may  be  traced  to  the  low 
condition  of  society  in  the  Home  District,  ow- 
ing to  the  peculiar  state  of  property.  The  fore- 
going reports  sufficiently  demonstrate  how  the 
farmers  of  Upper  Canada  have  been  baffled  in  their 
improvements  by  the  large  tracts  of  unsettled  land  ; 
but,  in  the  Home  District,  they  have  suffered  most 
from  this  ;  and  not  only  has  it  dulled  the  edge  of 
husbandry,  but  in  a  remarkable  degree,  clouded 
the  rise  of  intellect  and  spirit  among  the  inhabit- 
ants. 


HOME   DISTRICT.  459 

No  sooner  was  York,  or  Little  York,  as  it  was 
first  called  by  Governor  Simcoe,    and   to   which 
compound  appellation  it  has  since  established  pe- 
culiar claims; — no  sooner  was  Little  York  fixed 
upon  as  the  capital  of  the  province,  than  it  became 
obvious  that  sooner  or  later  the  landed  property 
around,   and  on  the  great  roads  leading  to  King- 
ston, &c.  would  bear  a  high  value.     For  this  good 
reason,  the  creatures  in  office  and  favour  bent  their 
avaricious  eyes  upon   it,  and  large  portions  were 
secured   to    them  and    their  friends.     The  conse- 
quences are  melancholy.     For  five  miles  round  the 
capital  of  Upper  Canada,  scarcely  one   improved 
farm   can   be  seen  in  contact  with  another;  and 
even  within   a  gun-shot  of  the  place,  the  gloomy 
woods  rise   up  in  judgment   against  its  nefarious 
inmates.     I  say,    "  the  gloomy  woods,"  because 
nature  does    not   appear  in  her  full  attire  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Little  York.     The  need  of  fire- 
wood has  stolen  from  the  forest  its  chief  ornaments, 
and  left  a  parcel  of  scorched  and  decaying  pine  trees 
to  frown  over  the  seat  of  rapacity.     The  only  con- 
nected settlement  commences  about  five  miles  to 
the  north,  on  Yonge  Street.      In  other  directions, 
so  far  as  the  district  goes,  you  might  travel  in  1817 
to  its  utmost  limits,  and  not  find  more  than  one 
farm  house  for  every  three  miles.     It  is  true,  that 
round  York,  and  particularly  to  the  westward,  the 
soil  is  inferior:  but  the  convenience  attendant  on 
proximity  to  a  town  would  long  ago  have  over- 
balanced this  disadvantage,  had  property  not  been 
monopolized  and  mangled.      Where  Yonge  Street 
is  compactly  settled,  it  is  well  cultivated  and  thriv- 


460  HOME    DISTRICT. 

ing,  particularly  beyond  what  is  called  the  Oak 
Hills  or  Ridges,  a  stripe  of  elevated  and  irregular 
ground  which  parts  the  waters  flowing  into  lakes 
Simcoe  and  Ontario,  and  which  indeed  forms  a 
sort  of  continuation  of  the  mountain  running 
through  Gore  and  Niagara  Districts. 

In  this  quarter  the  land  is  excellent,  and  it  is 
well  occupied  by  industrious  people,  mostly 
Quakers.  In  other  quarters,  simple  and  unsus- 
pecting Germans, — Tunkers,  and  Menonists,  have 
been  thinly  stuck  in  by  the  knowing  ones  among 
their  precious  blocks  and  reserves,  by  whose  plod- 
ding labours  the  value  of  this  sinecure  property 
may  be  increased. 

A  curious  document  has  been  published  in  this 
country,  which  gives  a  sad  proof  of  the  effect  of 
narrow-mindedness  and  wrong  arrangement  in 
property.  The  document  is  meant  to  draw  reve- 
rence to  the  above-mentioned  parson;  but,  in  fact, 
is  the  strongest  evidence  against  his  deeds  and 
sentiments.  It  is  stated  that  seven  or  eight  miles 
from  York,  on  Yonge  Street,  there  is  a  place  of 
worship,  where  it  is  customary  to  see  many  grown 
persons  coming  forward  to  be  baptized.  The  fact 
is,  that  this,  with  another  belonging  to  the  above 
mentioned  Quakers,  are  the  only  places  of  worship 
to  be  seen  in  Yonge  Street,  extending  near  40 
miles.  In  the  first  mentioned,  service  is  performed 
only  once  a  month  ;  the  dominant  parson  allowing 
nobody  to  preach  but  himself! 

Much  moan  has  been   made  in  this  country  as 
to  the  lagging  of  the  Gospel   in  Upper  Canada  ; 


HOME   DISTRICT.  461 

but  I  can  assure  the  public,  that  the  chief  cause 
rests  in  the  state  of  property,  which  so  scatters  the 
people,  as  to  put  the  necessary  union  for  building 
and  endowing  churches  out  of  the  question.  The 
moment  that  Upper  Canada  becomes  thickly 
peopled,  the  Gospel,  having  free  course,  will  be 
glorified  ;  and  this  will  the  sooner  take  place,  the 
sooner  that  clergy  reserves,  vainly  set  apart  for 
the  erection  of  an  established  church,  are  sold  off 
to  actual  settlers.  Next  to  personal  security,  the 
security  and  right  ordering  of  property  is  the  prime 
concern  of  wise  legislation.  Let  these  indeed  be 
properly  seen  to,  and  all  else  will  go  well,  whether 
the  pate  of  magistracy  be  covered  with  a  cowl,  a 
crown,  or  a  cap  of  liberty. 

There  are  not  more  desirable  situations  for  settle- 
ment in  the  province,  than  on  the  great  road  from 
York  to  Kingston  ;  but  here  the  largest  portions  of 
land  have  been  seized  upon  by  people  in  power 
and  office.  Some  20  years  ago,  these  people  sold 
two  whole  townships  of  crown  land,  and  had  the 
effrontery  to  lay  out  great  part  of  the  proceeds  in 
opening  the  road  through  these  their  favourite 
locations,  which  actual  settlers  would  cheerfully 
have  done  gratis,  besides  keeping  it  in  continual 
repair.  The  road  was  indeed  opened,  but  to  this 
day,  except  in  sleighing  time  and  fine  weather,  it 
is  an  absolute  block  up  against  him  who  would 
attempt  to  pass  between  the  two  principal  towns 
of  the  province.  Upon  one  occasion  that  I  wended 
my  weary  way  through  this  dismal  defile,  I  was 
glad  to  rest  for  a  little  while  in  a  farm-house,  "  far 

in  the  wild."     It  has  been  my  frequent  custom  to 

1 


462  HOME   DISTRICT. 

judge  my  fellow  men  partly  through  external  ap- 
pearances— their  farms — their  houses — their  dress. 
When  approaching  a  human  dwelling  in  Upper 
Canada,  I  would  survey  its  neighbourhood :  I 
would  observe  whether  the  fire-wood  was  neatly 
piled  ;  the  implements  of  husbandry  snugly  se- 
cured from  wind  and  weather  in  a  shed  or 
whether  the  pump  and  oven  were  in  good  repair. 
Sometimes,  nay  I  shall  say  often,  all  was  right: — 
sometimes  quite  the  reverse.  In  front  of  a  farm- 
house, I  would  sometimes  see  broken  ploughs  and 
decayed  waggons  lying  upon  a  heap  of  chips 
which  had  been  accumulating  for  years,  and  which 
had  for  smaller  garnishing,  many  coloured  and 
filthy  rags,  broken  bottles,  and  pieces  of  crockery. 
What  was  to  be  augured  of  the  man  who  exhibited 
such  signals?  certainly  neither  good  humour,  nor 
rational  conversation.  Yet  if  the  weary  traveller 
must  have  rest  and  refreshment,  he  will  not  be 
repelled  by  these :  he  will  at  least  march  up  to  the 
house,  and  consult  the  windows.  If  well  glazed 
and  bright,  in  he  may  go,  assured  that  the  mistress 
will  prove  tidy,  though  her  man  is  a  sloven  ;  and 
that  the  interior  will  yield  comfort,  though  the 
exterior  forbade  the  hope.  If,  on  the  contrary,  an 
old  hat,  or  piece  of  dirty  blanket  supplies  the  place 
of  a  pane  of  glass,  the  case  is  bad  indeed  ;  and 
nothing  but  the  strongest  necessity,  or  most  violent 
curiosity,  would  induce  me  to  enter.  Both  were 
urgent  on  this  occasion  ;  and  after  resting  a  little, 
I  began  to  examine  the  various  articles  by  which 
the  light  of  the  front  window  was  obscured,  or  I 


HOME   DISTRICT.  463 

should  rather  say,  by  which  its  numerous  orifices 
were  closed  up.  Let  the  reader  reflect  on  the 
catalogue :  there  was  one  old  great  coat,  and  two 
pair  of  ragged  pantaloons  !  This  story,  I  think,  will 
match  with  that  of  the  paganism  of  Yonge  Street, 
and  the  same  cause  has  laid  the  foundation  of 
both.  Inspect  all  the  wretched  cottages  of  Eng- 
land, and  you  will  not  find  a  window  so  patched 
as  that  which  I  have  spoken  of.  It  is  not  mere 
poverty  that  produces  such  appearances.  The 
poorest  creature  could  find  a  piece  of  board,  or  a 
bit  of  paper,  to  nail  or  paste  up  in  the  place  of  a 
broken  glass ;  and  either  the  one  or  other  would 
have  some  shew  of  neatness  and  respectability  :  but 
an  old  hat,  a  blanket,  a  great  coat,  or  ragged  pan- 
taloons, taken  advantage  of  for  such  a  purpose, 
mark  a  degree  of  degradation  below  brutality;  and 
such  is  the  state  to  which  circumstances  and  situa- 
tion can  reduce  humanity.  It  is  the  removal  from 
social  intercourse;  the  indulgence  of  indolence; 
the  want  of  excitement ;  which  can  make  the  mind 
completely  torpid,  and  at  once  extinguish  taste, 
feeling,  and  shame.  The  master  of  the  house  spo- 
ken of  was  tenant  of  a  clergy  reserve.  But  enough 
of  this  at  present:  there  is  quite  enough  to  shew 
why  I  had  no  reply  to  my  queries  in  such  a  district. 
To  carry  on  my  estimate  of  population,  I  sup- 
pose that  Little  York  might  contain,  in  1817,  of 
people,  I  shall  not  say  souls,  .  ;  1,200 

There  are  13  organized  townships  in  the  district; 
that  is,  such  as  hold  town  meetings  for  the  choice 
of  town  office  bearers,  and  to  these,  three  others 


464  HOME    DISTRICT. 

are  united,  each  containing  a  few  inhabitants.     If 
to   these  13  townships,  with   their  additions,  are 
allowed  500  people  each,  the  full  number,  I  think, 
will  be  obtained  as  it  stood  in  1817         .        6,500 
The  above      ,'  .^      .         .      ,^._  _       .        1,200 

Total  white  population  .  .         7,700 

There  is  an  Indian  reserve  west  of  York,  which 
extends  from  the  lake  to  the  wilderness^  between 
Toronto  and  Etobekoke,  and  on  which  some 
Missassaga  Indians  are  stationary,  perhaps  200. 
They  employ  themselves  in  fishing,  and  shooting 
wild  fowl,  chiefly  ducks,  which  frequent  York 
harbour  in  myriads.  In  still,  clear  weather  they 
have  a  mode  of  killing  fish  with  a  small  javelin, 
which  they  use  standing  upright  in  their  bark 
canoes  with  a  dexterity  and  ease  that  is  delightful 
to  witness.  In  1818,  a  purchase  was  made  from 
the  Missassagas  of  part  of  their  reserve,  and  a  vast 
extent  of  the  wilderness,  which  has  since  been 
surveying  and  settling,  with  emigrants  from  Britain 
and  Ireland,  British  subjects  from  the  United 
States,  &c. 

In  travelling  through  the  Home  District,  I  ob- 
served yellow  pine  in  two  places  :  viz.  on  Holland 
river,  which  runs  into  lake  Simcoe,  and  east  of 
York  a  few  miles.  The  timber  of  this  tree  is 
very  superior  to  the  white  pine,  which  prevails 
through  the  province,  being  much  more  resinous. 
It  resembles  the  Scotch  fir,  but  is  coarser  in  its 
leaves  or  prickles,  which,  too,  are  collected  together, 
at  the  extremity  of  the  bearing  twigs,  so  as  to  form 


HOME    DISTRICT.  465 

more  of  a  brushy  appearance.  Its  bark,  though  ge- 
nerally more  gashed  and  broken,  is,  at  places, 
smoother  than  that  of  the  white  pine,  exhibiting 
a  rich  blooming  colour,  whence  the  distinguishing 
name.  Pitch  pine,  the  knots  of  which  are  excellent 
for  torches,  resembles  the  yellow  pine.  It  is  found 
on  the  Thousand  Islands,  &c. 

I  shall  here  remark,  that  no  tree  in  Canada  exact* 
ly  resembles  the  same  species  or  variety  in  Britain. 
The  beech  is  most  similar,  butis  not  so  hard,  nor  so 
strongly  glazed,  in  the  leaf  as  ours.  Where  nature 
has,  for  ages,  had  the  entire  disposal  of  plants  over 
the  surface  of  a  country,  the  various  kinds  probably 
abound  in  the  exact  degree  to  which  soil  and  situ- 
ation are  most  favourable. 

The  beech,  I  think,  prevails  more  than  any  other 
tree  throughout  Upper  Canada  ;  but  it  is  worthless. 
Some  generations  must  pass  away  before  it  becomes 
an  object  for  art  to  interfere  with  nature  in  the 
growth  of  timber  trees  in  Canada;  but  it  is  plea- 
sant to  reflect  that  human  discernment  has  room  to 
economize  in  this  respect.  The  yellow  pine,  I 
have  no  doubt,  might  be  planted,  and  occupy  the 
ground  to  much  greater  advantage  than  the  white 
pine.  The  English  oak  might  be  introduced  in- 
stead of  the  less  durable  native  varieties  of  Canada  ; 
or  perhaps  the  live-oak  and  teek  may  be  substituted 
to  still  greater  profit. 

The  gooseberry  of  various  sorts  is  indigenous  in 
Canada  :  in  Britain  it  certainly  is  not ;  but  what  a 
mighty  change  has  the  habit  and  worth  of  the 
plant  experienced  by  cultivation.  Here  it  pro 

H  H 


466  HOME    DISTRICT. 

duces  the  most  delicious  fruit;  in  its  native  soil 
and  climate,  growing  up  neglected,  the  gooseberry 
is  wretched. 

A  canal  has  been  spoken  of  to  pass  through  the 
Home  District,  so  as  to  connect  lake  Ontario  with 
lake  Simcoe,  and  this  last  with  lake  Huron.  The 
mere  inspection  of  the  map  will  make  this  appear 
plausible,  as  saving  much  distance  in  reaching  the 
Upper  Lakes  ;  but  levels  must  be  thought  of  in 
determining  the  course  of  canals.  The  surface  of 
lake  Simcoe  is  much  higher  than  that  of  lake  Hu- 
ron. The  lockage,  therefore,  from  lake  Ontario 
into  lake  Simcoe  would  be  much  greater  than  that 
into  lake  Erie  ;  and,  in  addition  to  upward  lockage, 
would  be  added  the  downward  lockage  from  lake 
Simcoe  to  lake  Huron,  which,  together,  might 
quite  outbalance  the  advantage  of  shorter  distance. 

A  question  was  some  time  in  agitation  to  make 
Kingston  the  seat  of  government  instead  of  York, 
but  is,  I  believe,  now  set  at  rest  by  confirming  to 
the  latter  this  honour:  it  is  the  most  central,  and 
of  course  the  best  situation  for  business.  As  to 
danger  from  war,  it  only  requires  common  sense 
and  honesty  to  be  introduced  into  the  capital  of 
Upper  Canada  to  render  it  perfectly  safe,  even 
without  its  garrison,  or  block  house. 


NEWCASTLE    DISTRICT.  467 

IIALDIMAND. 


NAME,  Haldimand  :  situated  on  the  lake  store  : 
extent  of  the  township,  nine  miles  east  and  west; 
and  12  miles  north  and  south. 

The  soil  appears  to, be  very  excellent  throughout 
this  township  :  the  land  being  well  timbered  of 
such  as  beech,  maple,  basswood,  &c.  &c.  &c.  as 
well  as  a  sufficient  quantity  of  building  timber, 
suitable  for  the  purposes  which  we  require  it  for. 

There  are  streams  sufficient  for  mills  of  any  size : 
various  living  springs  also  generally  throughout. 

The  country  began  to  be  settled  in  the  month 
of  June,  1797:  the  quantity  of  land,  70,000  acres, 
of  which  is  under  cultivation  6,258.  Persons 
whose  property  is  rateable,  154;  number  of  grist 
mills,  3  ;  of  saw  mills,  4;  of  carding  machines,  3; 
of  stores,  5 ;  of  taverns,  4 ;  meeting  houses,  1  ; 
preachers  of  various  sects,  such  as  Baptists,  Me- 
thodists, &c. ;  of  schools,  4 ;  teachers'  fees  per 
quarter,  12s.  6d. 

The  rate  of  grinding  (as  is  customary)  every 
12th  part ;  price  of  boards  at  the  mill,  35s. ;  bricks, 
at  the  kiln,  35s.  each,  pet  1000 ;  lime  at  the  kiln, 
Is.  3d.  per  bushel ;  prices  of  labour,  viz.  black- 
smiths per  month,  20  dollars ;  of  clearing  land, 
10  dollars  per  acre ;  for  common  labourers,  for  six 
months  in  summer  season,  14  dollars  per  month  ; 
day  labourers,  in  harvest,  5s.;  carpenters,  per  day, 
6s.  3d.  ;  masons,  per  day,  7s.  6d. ;  of  labouring 

H  H  2 


468  NEWCASTLE    DISTRICT. 

women,  per  week,  5s. ;  price  of  a  horse,  four  years 
old,  60  dollars ;  an  ox,  40  dollars ;  a  milch  cow,  20 
dollars  ;  a  sheep,  three  dollars ;  3lbs.  of  wool  per 
sheep,  at  2s.  6d. ;  butter,  Is.  and  cheese,  7|d.  perlb. 
Time  of  turning  out  cattle  to  pasture  about  the  1st 
of  May  ;  of  taking  into  stable  about  the  20th  No- 
vember; sleighing  season,  three  months:  plough- 
ing in  spring,  about  the  20th  of  April ;  of  seeding 
wheat,  1st  September ;  reaping  of  grain,  the  month 
of  August ;  wheat,  sown  per  acre,  one  bushel ; 
produce  25  bushels.  Lands  let  upon  shares,  one* 
half  the  profits  arising.  At  the  first  settling  of  the 
township,  lands  were  worth  5s.  per  acre ;  at  the 
present  time  in  good  situations,  15s.,  and  in  ordi- 
nary situations,  10s. 

NATHAN  BURNHAM,     JOHN  HUNGER, 
EBENEZER  ALLEN,        JOHNSONMERRIAM, 
JOHN  BROWN,  WILSON  Rus. 


SUMMARY    OP    POPULATION,    &C. 


THIS  district  has,  like  the  last,  been  made  the 
spoil  of  power,  and  large  blocks  of  unoccupied  land 
every  where  hem  in  and  distress  the  industrious 
settlers.  It  contains  excellent  land,  finely  watered. 
I  had  from  it  only  the  above  report  of  Haldimand  ; 
and  my  only  data  for  calculating  the  population  is 
from  the  assessment  roll,  which,  in  1818,  gave  the 
following  account  of  persons  liable  to  district 
taxes : 


NEWCASTLE   DISTRICT.  469 

In  the  Township  of  Percy          ^  •...•»1$          34 

124 
136 


Ditto 
Ditto 

ditto 
ditto 

Murray             .     . 
Cramahe          .     . 

Ditto 

ditto 

Haldimand 

Ditto 

ditto 

Hamilton         .     . 

Ditto 
'  Ditto 

ditto 
ditto 

Hope          .     .     . 
Clark  and  Darlington 

155 
120 
58 

789 

Supposing    each    of    the    above    per- 
sons   to    be    the    head   of   a    family  of  6 

The  total  will  be         4734 
And    admit    that  poor   persons,    who 
are  not  on  the  roll,  amount  to         ...  266 

The  population  will  be         5000 
During    the   last  three  years    many   emigrants 
have   been    settled    towards    Rice  lake,    in    this 
district,  of  whom  I  take  no  account. 

In  the  course  of  time  it  may  become  an  object  of 
importance  to  connect  Rice  lake  by  a  canal  with 
lake  Ontario  direct,  instead  of  following  the  pre- 
sent canoe  route,  by  its  natural  outlet  into  the  bay 
of  Quinte. 


470  MIDLAND    DISTRICT, 


KINGSTON. 


To  ROBERT  GOURLAY,  Esq. 

November  ZSth,  1817. 

SIR, 

IT  is  impossible  for  an  inhabitant  of  this 

province,  who  has  at  heart  either  the  interest  of  the 
colony,  or  mother  country,  to  read  your  address 
to  the  landholders  of  Upper  Canada,  without  feel- 
ing a  most  sincere  interest  in  the  success  of  your 
arduous  undertaking. 

This  communication,  Sir,  the  result  of  that  ad- 
dress, is  made  by  a  society  yet  in  its  infancy, 
which  has  for  its  object  the  mutual  improvement 
of  its  members  in  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  the 
dissemination  amongst  their  fellow  men  of  such 
useful  knowledge  as  by  their  exertions  they  may 
be  able  to  attain.  Anxious  to  contribute  our  mite 
to  the  promoting  so  desirable  an  object  as  the  lay* 
ing  open  the  valuable  resources  of  this  vast  coun- 
try to  our  fellow  subjects  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  we  have  taken  every  pains  in  our  power 
to  obtain  correct  information  on  the  subject  of 
your  queries,  as  regards  the  township  of  Kingston. 
Should  the  annexed  replies  therefore  be  found  in 
any  way  subservient  to  your  laudable  purpose,  they 
are  most  cordially  at  your  service,  to  be  used  as  you 
may  think  proper. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  471 

Our  society,  Sir,  whilst  it  confesses  its  inability 
to  pay  any  adequate  tribute  to  the  patriotism  and 
philanthropy  of  your  present  exertion,  begs  par- 
ticularly to  express  its  approbation  of  your  plan  of 
publishing  in  German  as  well  as  in  English,  as  the 
Germans,  from  their  industrious  habits  and  at- 
tachment to  our  government,  generally  make  valu- 
able settlers. 

We  subscribe  the  names  of  all  the  members  of 
our  society  in  town,  and  remain,  with  warmest 
wishes  for  your  welfare  and  prosperity, 

Your  most  obedient  Servants, 
CHAS.  SHORT,         ANTONY  MARSHAL, 
H.  C.  THOMSON,     JOHN  M.  BALFOUR, 
ROBT.  STANTON,     THOMAS  GRAHAM. 

2d.  The  first  English  settlement  was  made  in  the 
year  1783,  though  the  French  had  a  small  garri- 
son here,  while  in  possession  of  the  country.  The 
number  of  inhabited  houses  now  is  about  650  : 
population  about  2,850.  This  enumeration  in- 
cludes the  town  of  Kingston,  which  contains  430 
houses  and  9,250  souls. 

3d.  There  are  four  churches,  or  meeting  houses, 
viz.  1  Episcopalian,  1  Roman  Catholic,  and  2 
Methodists  :  there  are  4  professional  preachers,  viz. 
1  Episcopalian,  1  Presbyterian,  and  2  Methodists. 
This  enumeration  does  not  include  a  chaplain  to 
the  army,  and  one  to  the  royal  navy. 

5th.  Eight  schools,  the  fees  of  which  are  various ; 
viz.  three  at  40s. :  four  at  22s.  6d.  \  and  one  conduct- 
ed on  the  Lancastrian  system  at  10s.  per  quarter. 


472  MIDLAND  DISTRICT. 

6th.  There  are  67  stores  and  shops  in  the  town 
and  township.  This  includes  the  different  deno- 
minations of  shops  kept  by  mechanics. 

7th.  There  are  41  taverns,  inns,  hotels,  and 
coffee-houses  in  the  town  and  township. 

8th.  There  is  a  machine  for  carding  wool,  at  the 
rate  of  9d.  per  Ib. ;  generally  paid  in  wool  at  the 
current  price. 

9th.  The  soil  of  this  township  is  chiefly  of  a 
clayey  nature,  covered  in  its  original  state  with  a 
stratum  of  rich  black  vegetable  mould.  The  soil 
rests  on  a  bed  of  limestone,  and  is  of  various 
depths:  a  small  part  is  rather  thin,  particularly 
round  the  shores  of  Kingston  bay  and  the  bay  of 
Quinte,  and  a  great  number  of  small  stones  re- 
main on  the  surface,  though  they  could  be  all 
removed  at  a  trifling  expence  of  labour  :  neither  do 
the  farmers  use  lime  or  manure  upon  their  lands  : 
yet  they  are  all  in  good  circumstances,  and  a  few 
years  of  industry  would  make  them  all  rich,  they 
being  near  the  market  of  Kingston,  where  a  large 
garrison  is  kept ;  besides  the  royal  naval  establish- 
ment: also,  a  number  of  merchant  vessels  which 
belong  to  the  port.  There  are  numbers  of  natural 
meadows  and  small  lakes  in  the  township  ;  and  it 
is  well  watered  with  rivulets  and  creeks.  Four- 
fifths  of  the  land  is  still  covered  with  forest 
trees, 

10th.  The  timber  most  abundant  is  the  different 
Jdnds  of  maple :  the  curled  and  bird-eye  maple  is 
remarkable  for  making  the  most  beautiful  cabinet 
furniture,  A  grove  of  sugar  maple  trees  with  pro- 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  473 

per  care  will  produce  on  an  average,  each  spring, 
five  Ibs.  of  sugar  per  tree. 

The  other  trees  as  they  most  abound  are  beech, 
ash,  elm,  the  different  species  of  fir,  the  walnut, 
butternut,  hiccorynut,  basswood,  ironwood,  birch, 
cherry,  white  and  red  cedar,  poplar,  elder,  oaks, 
black  and  white,  prickly  ash,  hazle,  shittim  wood, 
willows,  hemlock  tree,  and  the  locust  tree*,  &c. 

1 1th.  The  whole  of  this  township  lays  on  a  stra- 
tum of  limestone,  at  the  depth  of  from  one  to  six 
feet.  There  has  been  iron  ore  found  on  the  banks 
of  a  small  river  near  Kingston  mills,  and  also  a  salt 
spring  tolerably  strong. 

12th.  The  blue  limestone  of  this  township 
makes  very  handsome  and  durable  building  stone: 
it  has  been  sold  at  a  quarry  within  the  limits  of  this 
town,  the  last  and  present  years,  from  two  to  three 
dollars  per  toise. 

15th.  The  wages  of  mechanics  are  at  present 
extravagantly  high  :  they  may,  however,  be  con- 
sidered on  the  decline,  which  will  keep  pace  with 
the  increase  of  the  population. 

Journeymen's  wages  at  present  are  as  follows  : 

Carpenters,  on  an  average,  winter  and  summer, 
8s.  6d.  per  day,  and  found  in  board  and  lodging. 

Blacksmiths,  do.  3s.  6d.  per  day,  with  board  and 
lodging.  Masons,  9s.  to  12s.  6d. — not  found. 

The  price  of  shoeing  a  horse  all  round  is  gene- 
rally from  8s.  to  9s.  iron  found.  Most  of  the 
farmers  make  their  own  ploughs  and  harrows,  the 

*  I  have  seen  the  locust  (acacia)  cultivated,  but  never  wild,  in 
Upper  Canada.— R,  G. 


474  MIDLAND   DISTRICT. 

wood  work  of  which  is  of  little  value ;  the  iron  of 
a  plough  cost  generally  from  nine  to  twelve  dollars, 
according  to  weight,  or  Is.  per  Ib. ;  harrow  lines 
lOd.  ;  chains,  steeled  wedges,  &c.  Is.  3d. 

18th.  Clearing  land  covered  with 
timber,  prepared  for  the  harrow  at  3l. 
per  acre  is  V4xj  ^  £15  0  0 

Fencing  do.  at  7s.  6d.  per  acre,  is         1   17     6 


Total  for  five  acres     -    £16  17     6 



21st.  The  usual  time  of  turning  beasts  to  pasture 
is  about  the  20th  of  April,  and  the  time  they  are 
generally  taken  into  a  yard  (as  the  farmers  of  this 
township  are  not  in  the  habit  of  stabling  their 
cattle,  horses  excepted)  is  about  the  20th  of  No- 
vember. 

22d.  The  sleighing  season  generally  com- 
mences about  the  1st  of  January,  and  terminates 
the  latter  end  of  March.  Ploughing  is  usually 
commenced  about  the  20th  of  April. 

23d.  What  is  termed  winter  wheat  and  rye  is 
generally  sown  about  the  10th  of  September.  All 
kinds  of  spring  grain — such  as  oats,  wheat,  peas, 
barley,  and  rye,  are  generally  sown  from  the  3d  to 
the  20th  of  May.  The  usual  time  of  reaping 
spring  grain  is  from  the  15th  of  August  to  the  15th 
of  September. 

23th.  A  cow  will  give  (including  summer  and 
winter)  in  the  course  of  one  week  21  quarts  of 
milk,  which  will  make  three  Ibs.  and  a  half  of  but- 
ter, or  four  Ibs.  of  cheese. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  475 

$6th.  No  general  system  of  cropping  is  ob- 
served. The  ordinary  mode  with  new  land  is  to 
put  in  a  crop  of  wheat,  and  continue  this  from  year 
to  year  as  long  as  the  land  will  bear  it :  it  is  then 
laid  to  grass  for  two  or  three  years  :  after  which  it 
is  cropped,  without  observing  any  general  system 
of  husbandry.  Manure  is  seldom  used,  excepting 
now  and  then  for  a  potatoe  or  Indian  corn  crop. 

27th.  The  system  of  letting  lands  on  shares  is 
not  extensively  practised  in  this  township.  When 
it  is  done  one-half  of  the  proceeds  is  considered  a 
sufficient  compensation  to  the  farmer,  the  proprie* 
tor  providing  farming  utensils,  oxen,  and  seed,  for 
the  first  crop. 

28th.  Few  or  no  actual  purchases  of  land  were 
made  by  the  original  settlers,  as  their  situation 
entitled  them  to  grants  from  government;  many  of 
these  people,  however,  in  a  few  years,  got  into  the 
books  of  the  merchants,  and  from  that  period  we 
may  date  actual  sales:  from  10  to  20  years  ago,  lands 
sold  to  liquidate  debts,  may  be  stated  at  from  2s.  6d. 
to  10s.  per  acre.  Since  that  period,  it  has  not  come 
to  our  knowledge  that  many  sales  have  been 
made,  excepting  in  the  way  of  barter,  the  price  of 
which  generally  yielded  to  the  circumstances  of  the 
seller.  Within  the  last  month  a  sale  of  600  acres  of 
wild  land  has  been  made  6  miles  from  Kingston;  the 
estimated  price  is  13s.  4d.  to  be  paid  for,  part  cash 
and  part  barter.  Farms  of  200  acres,  with,  perhaps, 
60  or  80  acres  cleared,  with  a  house  and  barn,  and 
within  a  range  of  10  miles  of  this  town,  may  be 
worth  from  21.  to  51.  per  acre. 


476  MIDLAND    DISTRICT. 

29th.  If  there  were  purchasers  in  the  market, 
we  believe  the  quantity  for  sale  to  be  very  con- 
siderable. 

30th.  In  the  remote  concessions  of  this  town- 
ship the  roads  are  very  bad,  chiefly  owing  to  the 
country  being  so  thinly  inhabited,  and  to  the  crown 
and  clergy  reserves :  likewise,  a  principal  cause  of  the 
bad  roads  is  owing  to  the  large  tracts  of  land  held 
by  non-residents,  as  they  are  not  compelled  by  law 
to  contribute  their  share  of  the  ex  pence  towards 
the  making  and  improving  roads  :  generally  speak- 
ing, the  materials  exist  in  great  abundance  through- 
out the  township  for  the  making  of  roads,  and  if 
wise  legislative  and  municipal  laws  were  adopted 
and  enforced,  we  might  have  as  good  roads  here  as 
in  any  part  of  the  world,  and  not  at  a  greater  ex- 
pence  than  they  have  them  in  countries  where  the 
price  of  labour  bears  any  proportion  to  what  it  is 
here.  Water  communication  is  not  very  common, 
except  on  the  front  of  the  township  ;  but  it  might 
be  extended  and  improved  by  means  of  canals,  &c.: 
however,  this  species  of  improvement  would  re- 
quire capital  and  a  condensed  population. 

31st.  There  are  three  prominent  causes  which 
tend  to  retard  the  improvement  of  this  part  of 
the  country  :  first  the  original  settlers  were  (ge- 
nerally speaking)  discharged  soldiers,  whose  habits 
were,  and  continue  to  be,  foreign  to  the  quiet  and 
peaceful  pursuits  of  industry:  there  is  likewise 
another  class  of  settlers,  consisting  of  regardless 
characters,  chiefly  emigrants  from  the  United 
States. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  477 

The  second  cause,  which  in  our  opinion  retards 
the  agricultural  improvement  of  this  township,  is 
the  crown  and  clergy  reserves.  If  they  could  be 
disposed  of,  so  as  to  allow  good  roads,  and  a  free 
communication  from  one  concession  to  another,  it 
would  tend,  in  our  opinion,  much  to  the  improve- 
ment of  the  township. 

The  third  cause  is  the  immense  tracts  of  land  held 
by  non-residents.  We  cannot  pretend  to  give  you 
a  correct  account  of  the  quantity  of  land  so  held ; 
but  we  are  certain  that  we  do  not  exaggerate  in 
stating  the  number  of  acres  at  from  12  to  15,000, 
exclusive  of  the  crown  and  clergy  reserves,  which 
are  two-seventh  parts  of  the  whole  land  in  the 
township. 


KINGSTON.— SECOND  REPORT. 


At  a  Meeting  of  a  respectable  Number  of  Yeomen, 
Farmers,  and  others,  held  at  the  Village  of 
Waterloo,  in  the  lownship  of  Kingston,  on 
Monday,  February  2,  1818,  when  Major  John 
Everett  was  unanimously  called  to  the  Chair,  and 
Mr.  John  Vincent  was  requested  to  act  as  Secre- 
tary to  the  Meeting,  Mr.  Gourlays  Publication 
to  the  resident  Landholders  of  Upper  Canada, 
was  read  and  approved.  It  was  then  resolved 
that  his  Queries  be  token  into  Consideration,  and 
Answers  returned  thereto. 

3 


47$  MIDLAND   DISTRICT. 

PASTURE  good.  A  lean  ox  will  sometimes  gain 
two  cwt.  in  a  summer's  run.  A  good  cow  yields 
seven  pounds  of  butter  per  week.  The  cows  are 
smaller,  and  badly  managed  to  what  they  are  in 
England. 

At  the  first  settlement,  many  sold  their  200 
acre  lots  for  the  value  of  a  few  shillings :  12  years 
ago,  land  a  few  miles  from  Kingston  sold  for 
2s.  6d.  per  acre  ;  and  lately,  in  the  same  situations, 
for  30s.  or  40s. ;  but  the  fire  wood  alone  will  be 
soon  worth  as  much  as  that. 

For  cash  a  number  of  improved  farms  might  be 
bought, 

The  roads  are  very  indifferent ;  but  if  properly 
undertaken,  might,  at  a  little  expence,  be  made 
good,  as  stone  is  at  hand.  What  contributes  to 
the  neglect  of  the  roads  is  that  the  business  is 
mostly  contrived  to  be  done  by  sleighing. 

In  answer  to  the  last  question,  what,  in  our 
opinions,  would  most  contribute  to  the  improve- 
ment of  the  province,  and  what  retards  the  same, 
the  following  answers  were  proposed,  and  unani- 
mously approved  of. 

1st.  The  want  of  capital,  which  is  partly  caused 
by  the  arrival  of  so  many  poor  emigrants  from  the 
mother  country,  with  scarcely  money  sufficient  to 
support  them  a  month,  and  yet  expect  to  under- 
take a  farm,  because  the  land  is  given  them,  quite 
forgetting  they  want  it  cleared,  with  a  house,  barn, 
horses,  cows,  and  every  implement  in  husbandry, 
together  with  provision  till  they  can  raise  their 
own :  but,  it  is  true,  most  of  the  present  fanners 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  479 

commenced  with  small  means  ;  but  they  better 
understood  the  nature  of  the  country,  and  to  be  a 
good  labourer  it  requires  a  year  or  two's  practice 
to  get  expert  in  the  method  of  farming  in  this 
country. 

We  would  recommend  men  with  a  suitable 
capital  to  enter  into  farming,  to  take  them  under 
their  protection,  or  by  forming  small  colonies  for 
the  purpose  of  settling,  and  then  introducing  men 
of  the  country  among  them  to  instruct  them;  and 
we  venture  to  declare,  under  suitable  management, 
Upper  Canada  would  answer  any  reasonable  expec- 
tation to  farmers,  and  nearly  every  useful  artisan: 
the  latter  should  not  remain  at  the  sea-ports,  but 
proceed  up  the  country,  where  they  are  wanted. 
We  wish  also  that  some  method  could  be  adopted 
at  the  sea-ports,  to  give  such  people  information 
where  they  would  find  employment, 

For  want  of  capital  the  greatest  object  remains 
neglected,  that  is,  the  removing  the  obstacle  to  the 
navigation  of  the  river  St.  Lawrence.  The  ex- 
pence  of  this  object,  it  is  generally  considered, 
would  be  less  than  it  cost  government  to  bring  up 
the  stores  during  the  last  war.  The  benefits  we 
should  receive  are  immense,  when  our  remote 
situation  is  considered.  At  present  every  article 
we  want  from  the  sea-ports  is  brought  to  us  at 
great  expence,  time,  and  risk :  the  same  may  be 
said  of  any  article  we  have  to  export.  We  sin- 
cerely hope  some  spirited  men  of  capital,  in  Eng- 
land, may  turn  their  attention  to  this  object,  and 
we  have  no  doubt  but  they  would  be  well  remu- 


480  MIDLAND    DISTRICT* 

nerated  for  the  money  they  expended,  by  the  in- 
crease of  population  and  trade  up  and  down  the 
river. 

The  great  quantities  of  land  in  the  fronts  and 
public  situations  that  remain  unimproved,  by 
being  given  very  injudiciously  to  persons  who  do 
not  want  to  settle  on  them,  and  what  is  most 
shameful  arid  injurious,  no  law  is  made  to  compel 
them  to  make  or  work  any  public  road  ;  but  this  is 
to  be  done  by  industrious  people,  who  settle  around. 
Such  lands  remain  like  a  putrid  carcass,  an  injury 
and  a  nuisance  to  all  around  :  at  the  same  time,  to 
the  owners,  this  land  increases  in  value,  without 
their  being  made  to  contribute  towards  it,  at  other 
men's  ex  pence.  Our  worthies  a  few  years  ago 
passed  an  act,  that  required  a  poor  man  to  work 
three  days  upon  the  public  roads,  and  these  over- 
gorged  landowners  but  twelve  days,  and  others, 
with  twenty  times  as  much  property,  doing  no 
more.  It  would  excite  surprise  at  Governor  Gore's 
signing  such  a  bill,  if  it  was  not  known  that  the 
parliament  voted  him  £3,000  to  buy  a  piece  of 
plate. 

Mr.  Gourlay  takes  it  for  granted,  that  the  re- 
straints to  improvement  will  be  speedily  removed 
by  government.  This  assertion  ill  comports  with 
the  notice  given  by  the  Board  of  Trade  to  our  mer- 
chants, to  set  a  duty  on  timber  from  British  Ame- 
rica. We  do  express  our  belief,  to  think  it  impos- 
sible so  much  injury  to  the  people  of  these  pro- 
vinces can  be  intended,  to  please  a  northern  despot, 
or  to  answer  any  policy.  If  such  is  the  intention^ 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  481 

we  may  be  assured,  more,  like  Bute  and  North,  are 
in  council,  who,  by  their  arbitrary  measures,  lost  to 
us  the,  now,  United  States.  Our  loyalty  and  regard 
for  the  mother  country  was  strongly  proved  by  the 
severe  military  duty  we  performed  during  the  late 
war;  and  common  gratitude  would  entitle  us  to 
every  fostering  care  the  mother  country  could  be- 
stow to  the  encouragement  of  our  commerce,  and 
other  local  interests. 

We  think  an  indiscriminate  admission  of  people 
from  the  United  States  greatly  injurious  to  the 
province;  many  of  these  people  come  among  us 
solely  from  gain,  without  any  respect  for  people  or 
country,  who  would,  at  a  favourable  opportunity, 
join  their  countrymen  against  us  ;  and  if  we  were 
sure  of  their  attachment,  are  they  not  filling  the 
country  where  the  surplus  population  of  Britain 
might  plant  themselves  with  advantage  and  honour? 

The  want  of  success  at  the  depot  (Perth  New 
Settlement)  arises  from  the  badness  of  the  system 
pursued,  and  the  conduct  of  the  agents  employ- 
ed, and  not  from  the  country  or  settlers.  The 
agents  should  be  fatherly  men,  who  understand 
the  management  of  such  business ;  instead  of 
which,  a  parcel  of  ignorant  proud  puppies  were  put 
there,  who  were  too  indolent  to  give  the  strangers 
directions  to  find  their  land;  but  if  government 
will  take  the  trouble  to  hear,  it  will  be  explained 
to  them  in  every  particular. 

JOHN  VINCENT. 


i  i 


482  MIDLAND   DISTRICT. 

EARNEST-TOWN,  INCLUDING 
AMHERST  ISLAND. 


2d.  Itinerant  tradesmen,  from  the  United  States, 
when  occasional,  or  rather  periodical  improve- 
ments require  their  services,  in  the  erection  or 
repairing  of  buildings,  in  the  clearing  and  culture 
of  lands,  and  in  the  disposal  of  implements  of  hus- 
bandry, often  augment  the  actual  population  by 
some  hundreds. 

3d.  There  is  only  one  resident  professional 
preacher  in  the  whole  township,  and  he  is  of  the 
Methodist  society.  But  the  respective  churches 
are  occasionally  served  by  non-resident  and  itine- 
rant gentlemen  from  the  United  States,  and  from 
the  adjacent  townships,  especially  from  Kingston  ; 
which  place,  from  its  being  the  naval,  military,  and 
commercial  capital  of  Upper  Canada,  is  well  sup- 
plied with  religious  establishments  and  ministers. 

5th.  There  is  one  parochial  academy  in  the  vil- 
lage, and  thirteen  common  schools  over  the  town- 
ship. The  fees  may  average  IOs.  per  quarter. 

8th.  There  are  two  carding  and  one  fulling  ma- 
chines. One  barley  hulling  mill,  together  with  a 
water  blast  furnace.  Carding  is  5|d.  per  Ib.  and 
fulling  6d.  per  yard. 

9th.  The  general  character  is  good. 

10th.  The  timber,  in  order  as  it  most  abounds, 
is,  beech  and  sugar  maple,  basswood,  white  pine, 
white  oak,  black  ash,  water  elm,  white  cedar, 
red  oak,  white  walnut,  spruce,  black  and  white 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  483 

birch,  iron  wood,  tamerack,  butternut,  balsam 
fir,  &c.  &c. 

llth.  Iron  and  sulphur  strongly  indicated:  lime- 
stone is  universal.  Plaster  of  Paris  has  lately 
been  found  in  an  uncalcined  state,  and  strongly 
impregnated  with  lime.  Several  springs  have  been 
found  charged  with  salt  and  other  minerals  not  yet 
defined. 

12th.  There  are  several  quarries  of  excellent 
building  stone,  which  may  be  obtained  for  10s.  per 
toise. 

15th.  Blacksmiths,  piece-work,  viz.  horse-shoe- 
ing, 8s.  ;  plough  shares,  15d.  per  Ib.  wrought ; 
felling  axe,  10s. ;  hoe,  5s. ;  and  the  general  prac- 
tice in  working  iron  for  the  farmers'  utensils  (with 
the  exception  of  plain  work,  such  as  harrow  teeth, 
&c.)  is  charged  at  the  current  price  of  iron  per  Ib. 

25th.  The  pasture  is  universally  good,  consist- 
ing of  white  clover  and  timothy,  natural  and  rich. 
The  cows  yield  excellent  milk,  and  the  quality  of 
the  butter  is  luscious,  and  that  of  the  cheese  mel- 
low, much  resembling  Dunlap  cheese.  Pork  and 
poultry  of  every  description  are  raised  with  ease 
and  abundance,  while  the  adjacent  waters  furnish  a 
great  variety  of  delicious  fish  and  fowls,  and  the 
woods  contain  many  species  of  game,  which  help 
to  save  the  farmer's  stock. 

26th,  The  course  of  cropping  is  wheat,  rye, 
grass  broken  up  for  fall  wheat,  or  pease.  When 
sown  with  wheat,  the  pease  or  oats  follow  ;  when 
with  pease,  wheat  or  barley  follows.  Manure  is 
applied  with  advantage  for  all  crops;  but  generally 
i  i  2 


484  MIDLAND    DISTRICT. 

only   used  for    potatoes,  Indian    corn,    flax,   and 
barley. 

27th.  Land  is  sometimes  let  on  shares,  but  not 
to  any  great  extent.  The  ordinary  terms  are  about 
one-third  to  the  proprietor  of  the  field  produce. 

28th.  At  the  first  settlement  the  value  of  wild 
lands  was  merely  nominal.  They  have  progres- 
sively risen,  and  their  present  price  may  be  com- 
puted at<£l.  5s.  per  acre.  The  average  price  of 
100  acres  of  land,  one  half  improved  with  tolerable 
buildings  thereon,  may  be  valued  at  £%.  per  acre. 

29th.  From  the  prosperity  of  the  township,  there 
are  hardly  any  lands  for  sale,  except  when  cases  of 
emergency  urge  a  disposal. 

30th.  The  roads  are  tolerably  good  ;  but  might 
be  considerably  improved  at  a  moderate  ex  pence. 
The  water  communication  to  all  parts  of  the  pro- 
vince is  free  from  the  front  of  the  township.  If 
the  improvement  of  this  township  can  be  said  to 
be  retarded,  it  is  for  want  of  more  skill  in  hus- 
bandry, and  the  dearth  of  labourers;  and  it  may 
be  added,  that  although  this  township  is  generally 
considered  one  of  the  best  settled,  and  most  pros- 
perous in  the  Upper  Province,  yet  the  introduction 
of  men  of  capital  and  enterprise,  and  those  versed 
in  a  superior  knowledge  of  husbandry,  would  be  a 
great  acquisition,  and  contribute  to  its  ultimate 
prosperity. 

R.  MACKAY, 
Secretary  to  the  Meeting. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  485 

>••"  -f-  <svii>--  *',«P* 

ADOLPHUSTOWN. 

9th.  The  general  character  of  the  soil  is  clay. 

10th.  The  timber  most  abounding,  is  oak,  hick- 
ory, beech,  maple,  pine,  elm,  and  bass. 

26th.  The  ordinary  course  of  cropping  upon  new 
land  is  to  sow  it  with  wheat  in  the  fall,  and  with 
rye  the  ensuing  season  ;  it  is  sometimes  let  lay, 
and  sometimes  sowed  with  pease  in  the  spring 
after  the  first  crop  is  reaped,  and  again  with  wheat 
in  the  fall.  Manure  is  applied  on  orchard  ground, 
and  for  corn  and  potatoes  ;  sometimes  for  wheat 
and  barley, 

27th.  Land  is -sometimes  let  on  shares,  but  not 
practised  to  a  great  extent  in  this  township :  the 
ordinary  terms  are,  the  owner  to  furnish  team,  seed, 
&c.  and  take  one-half  when  gathered. 

28th.  At  the  first  settlement  of  this  township, 
land  could  be  procured  at  Is.  per  acre.  It  rose 
gradually  to  5s.  10s.  15s.  20s.  &c.  At  this  mo- 
ment there  is  no  land  in  the  township  could  be 
procured  for  less  than  4l.  per  acre,  and  it  is  be- 
lieved few  would  sell  at  any  price. 

29th.  None. 

30th.  The  roads  of  this  township  are  surpassed 
by  none  in  the  province.  No  township  has  greater 
advantages  as  respects  water  conveyance  ;  every 
concession  has  communication  with  the  bay  lead- 
ing to  Kingston. 

31st.  In  our  opinion,  what  retards  the  improve- 


48(5  MIDLAND    DISTRICT. 

ment  of  the  province  in  general,  is  the  great  neces- 
sity which  still  exists  in  it  for  improvement  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  the  very  unequal  road  tax,  the  great 
quantity  of  land  held  by  landholders  residing  out 
of  the  province,  and  the  want  of  a  provincial  bank. 
Could  these  objects  be  accomplished,  and  an  emi- 
gration of  enterprising  settlers  from  home,  men  of 
capital  and  abilities,  take  place,  no  doubt  rests  with 
us  that  it  would  greatly  advance  prosperity. 

JACOB  HOVER,  WILLET  CASEY, 

THOMAS  COOK,  WILLIAM  MOORE, 

PHILIP  RoBLEN,  ARCH.  CAMPBELL, 

DAVID  PETERSON,  And  25  others. 


SOPHIASBURG. 

3d.  THERE  are  no  churches.  The  Quakers, 
Methodists,  and  Presbyterians,  have  meetings  at 
private  houses. 

8th.  One  carding  machine:  6d.  per  Ib.  carding 
wool. 

9th.  Clay  and  loam  :  surface  tolerably  level. 

10th.  Pine,  oak,  maple,  beech,  ash,  elm,  cedar, 
and  basswood. 

12th.  There  is  no  building  stone,  except  lime- 
stone,  which  can  be  had  at  a  very  trifling  expence. 

18th.  From  8  to  12  dollars  per  acre,  employer 
finding  a  team. 

25th.  Quantity  of  pasture  is  small  in  proportion 
to  the  size  of  the  farms  ;  quality  tolerably  good. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  487 

26th.  Wheat  is  always  the  first  crop,  both  on 
new  lands,  and  on  land  broken  up  from  grass. 
Pease,  corn,  or  oats,  the  next  crop ;  then  wheat 
again.  Manure  is  seldom  used,  and  only  that 
from  the  barnyard. 

27th.  But  few  farms  are  let  on  shares. 

28th.  At  first  settlement,  about  Is.  per  acre: 
there  is  little  wild  land  for  sale  here:  last  sales 
made  from  three  to  five  dollars  per  acre.  No  sales 
of  improved  farms  have  lately  taken  place. 

30th.  State  of  the  roads  generally  good.  The 
township  being  situated  on  the  bay  of  Quinte,  is 
very  convenient  for  water  communication. 

ORTON  HANCOX. 


HALLOWELL. 


14th  Feb.  1818. 

At  a  Meeting  of  the  Justices  of  the  Peace,  and 
principal  Inhabitants,  held  at  Eyre's  Inn,  the 
Proposals  of  Mr.  Gourlay  were  considered,  and 
the  following  Replies  agreed  to. 

HALLOWELL  is  almost  wholly  good  soil,  gene- 
rally of  a  loamy  nature,  yielding  excellent  winter 
wheat,  and  also  all  other  kinds  of  spring  and  sum- 
mer grain,  such  as  pease,  oats,  Indian  corn,  barley, 
potatoes,  turnips,  &c.  Flax,  when  properly  at- 
tended, being  raised  also  of  an  excellent  quality. 
The  township  being  generally  level,  is  cultivated 


488  MIDLAND    DISTRICT. 

with  ease,  and  is  handsomely  proportioned  with 
meadow  land.     Orchards  also  begin  to  thrive. 

We  have  one  Methodist,  and  one  Quaker  meet- 
ing house  in  the  township  :  preparations  are  mak- 
ing also  for  a  Presbyterian  meeting  house.  The 
former  is  attended  by  a  circuit  preacher  every  two 
weeks.  The  latter  by  a  Quaker  speaker  every 
Sabbath. 

One  carding  and  one  fulling  machine:  carding 
wool,  6d.  per  Ib. ;  and  2s.  per  yard  for  fulling,  co- 
louring, pressing,  and  shearing  cloth. 

The  timber  produced  is  beech,  maple,  white  and 
black  ash,  basswood,  birch,  white  and  black  oak, 
iron  wood,  cedar,  and  a  suitable  proportion  of 
white  pine  for  building,  and  sawing  into  boards. 
There  are  various  ridges  which  abound  with  lime- 
stone, which  could  be  obtained  at  a  very  trifling 
expence.  Excellent  clay  is  found  in  different 
parts  of  the  township,  from  which  the  best  of 
bricks  are  made ;  two  brick  houses  being  finished 
in  the  township-. 

The  course  of  cropping  upon  new  lands  is 
generally  thus.:  the  owner  of  the  land  will  find 
team  to  do  the  work,  and  board  the  person  crop- 
ping ;  they  will  labour  equally,  and  the  cropper 
will  receive  one-third  of  the  wheat.  On  old  lands 
various  ways  are  practised,  according  to  the  circum- 
stances of  the  person  wishing  to  take  or  rent  a  farm 
or  piece  of  land  ;  but  generally  much  to  the  advan- 
tage of  the  cropper.  Old  land  generally  drawing 
one-third  of  the  produce  without  any  labour 
of  the  owner :  he  finding  one-third  the  seed,  and 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  4S9 

receives  his  share,  harvested  or  not,  as  may  be 
agreed  upon  in  the  field.  Manure  is. generally 
drawn  out  in  the  fall  upon  ground  to  be  phmted 
with  Indian  corn  in  the  spring,  or  for  other  grain, 
as  may  be  required  ;  farms  being  let  upon  shares, 
or  leased  from  one  to  three  years  in  general. 

Farms  of  200  acres,  with  from  30  to  50  acres 
cleared,  having  a  comfortable  frame  dwelling  house 
and  barn,  are  worth  from  6001.  to  8001. 

The  roads  are  good,  and  yearly  improving. 
Within  the  limits  of  this  township  lie  two  small 
lakes,  called  East  and  West  Lake :  the  former  up- 
wards of  12  miles  in  circumference,  the  latter  up- 
wards of  16,  both  communicating  with  Ontario 
by  outlets,  which  are  navigable  for  boats,  and  are 
settled  on  all  sides  by  industrious  farmers.  These 
waters  abound  in  bass,  and  other  fish,  which  are 
taken  at  pleasure. 

Settlers,  able  to  distribute  money  among  us, 
would  be  of  the  greatest  benefit  to  the  township 
and  vicinity  in  general;  as  also  by  instructions  as 
to  the  modes  of  agriculture  at  home. 

EBENEZER  WASHBURN, 

Chairman  to  the  Meeting. 


THURLOW. 


IN  the  first  concession  of  this  township,  and  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  river  Moira,  is  situated  the 
town  of  Belville,  composed  of  part  of  a  plot 


490  MIDLAND   DISTRICT. 

which  was  originally  a  reservation  to  the  Missassaga 
tribe  of  Indians,  for  the  purposes  of  encamping 
and  fishing.  In  the  spring  of  1816,  it  was  by 
order  of  government  surveyed  ancTformed  into  a 
town-plot,  consisting  of  upwards  of  300  lots  of 
half  an  acre  each. 

3d.  The  Gospel  is  dispensed  almost  every  Sab- 
bath of  the  year,  in  different  parts  of  the  township, 
by  itinerant  preachers  of  the  Methodist  and  Bap- 
tist sects. 

8th.  There  are  two  carding  machines,  and  two 
fulling  mills.  The  rate  of  carding  wool,  6d.  per 
Ib. ;  and  of  fulling  and  dressing  cloth  from  7d.  to 
lOd.  per  yard. 

9th.  The  general  quality  of  the  soil  is  light  loam, 
or  marl.  The  surface,  in  some  few  instances,  is 
broken  ;  but  generally  level,  smooth,  and  even. 

10th.  The  most  common  timber  is  maple,  and  in 
succession,  beech,  basswood,  oak,  pine,  elm,  birch, 
iron  wood,  spruce,  fir,  and  cedar. 

llth.  No  minerals  have  been  discovered ;  nei- 
ther does  the  soil  indicate  any  impregnations ; 
limestone  is  found  in  abundance,  and  can  be 
quarried  for  30s.  per  toise :  there  are  no  remarkable 
springs. 

15th.  Blacksmiths  charge  for  a  plough,  ,£1176 
Do.  for  a  hoe,  -%  .050 
Do.  narrow  axe,  .  0  12  6 

Do.  shoeing  a  horse,  076 

25th.  Pasture  fields  are  generally  composed  of 
white  and  red  clover,  herds  grass,  spear  grass,  and 
blue  joint,  all  considered  of  good  quality.  On 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  491 

such,  an  ox  of  four  years  old,  would  gain  from  three 
to  four  hundred  pounds  during  a  summer's  run. 

26th.  The  ordinary  mode  of  cropping  upon  new 
lands  is  to  deposit  the  seed  as  soon  as  the  land  i$ 
cleared  of  the  timber,  and  harrow  the  land  three  or 
four  times,  in  order  effectually  to  cover  the  seed. 
Upon  old  land  to  break  it  up  with  the  plough 
early  in  the  season,  say  the  month  of  May;  cross 
plough  and  harrow  it  at  different  times  through 
the  season,  and  have  it  ready  for  the  seed  in  Sep- 
tember. Manure  is  applied  in  the  mouth  of 
November,  and  to  such  land  as  is  intended  for 
pease,  oats,  corn,  potatoes,  and  flax. 

27th.  The  practice  of  letting  land  on  shares  is 
common,  &c.  Where  farms  are  leased  for  a  given 
sum,  2,51.  per  annum  is  the  customary  rent  for  a 
farm  of  200  acres,  possessing  ordinary  advantages 
and  accommodations  with,  say,  one  quarter  part 
improved. 

28th.  Farms  situated  near  the  bay  of  Quinte, 
consisting  of  200  acres,  one-third  improved  with  a 
comfortable  farm  house,  and  necessary  out-houses, 
considered  worth  from  31.  to  51.  per  acre. 

29th.  There  are  probably  from  15,000  to  20,000 
acres  of  laud  yet  for  sale. 

The  township  comprises  about  55,000  acres ; 
25,000  of  which  is  in  the  possession  of  actual  set- 
tlers ;  about  14,000  are  reserved  by  government, 
and  the  residue  is  yet  to  be  disposed  of. 

30th.  Roads  in  general  are  tolerably  good  ;  but 
require  and  are  capable  of  much  improvement, 
which  could  be  effected  at  the  average  expence  of 


492  MIDLAND    DISTRICT. 

51.  per  miJe.  The  river  Moira  is  the  only  stream 
in  the  township  worthy  of  remark.  It  has  its 
source  in  Hog  lake,  which  is  situated  about  30 
miles  north  of  the  township.  It  abounds  in  valu- 
able mill  seats,  and  discharges  itself  into  the  bay  of 
Quinte,  at  the  town  of  Bellville. 

81st.  The  circumstances  which  retard  the  im- 
provement of  the  township  may  be  considered  as 
extending  to  all  parts  of  the  province,  and  proceed 
from  the  want  of  a  much  more  extensive  popula- 
tion of  yeomanry,  and  a  monied  capital  directed 
in  a  general  and  liberal  manner  to  agricultural 
pursuits. 

JAMES  Me  NAB,  J.  P.  JOHN  W.  MYERS, 

SIMON  Me  NAB,  JOHN  HUBBARD, 

ROBERT  SMITH,  JOHN  CANNEFF. 
Feb.  6th,  1818. 


GENERAL  REPORT. 


Kingston,  Z6th  Nov.  1817. 

iftoi 
I  DID  not  receive  your  circular  until  the 

day  before  yesterday,  and  observing,  that  you  in- 
tend leaving  the  country  soon,  I  have  committed 
to  paper,  what  I  know  myself,  and  what  I  could 
collect  from  my  neighbour?  :  if  I  had  been  inform- 
ed, at  an  earlier  period,  of  your  intentions,  I 
should  have  been  able  to  have  answered  more  of 
your  queries. 


GENERAJL    REPORT.  493 

*#*  Geographical  description,  as  in  other  reports, 
left  out. 

The  soil  of  the  Midland  District,  is  generally  a 
dark  coloured  clay  and  yellow  loam;  both  kinds 
good  for  wheat  and  every  other  grain.  It  is  well 
timbered  with  white  pine,  white  and  red  oak, 
maple,  beech,  hickory,  birch,  bass  wood,  iron  wood, 
butternut  and  poplar :  there  are  no  plains  of  yellow 
pine  and  oak  :  there  are  no  mountains  or  hills  of 
any  height :  the  country  is  quite  level.  No  mines 
have  as  yet  been  discovered ;  but  from  the  difficulty 
which  surveyors  have  met  with,  in  running  parallel 
lines,  owing  to  the  variation  of  the  needle,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  of  the  existence  of  iron  mines. 
The  produce  of  an  acre  of  new  land,  is  from  25  to 
30  bushels  of  wheat,  and  of  old,  from  1,5  to  20  :  it 
would  however  produce  more  were  the  farmers  to 
manure  and  till  the  ground  well.  The  sowing 
season  commences  about  the  middle  of  April ;  and 
harvest  about  the  middle  of  July,  and  continues  to 
the  latter  end  of  August  before  all  the  grain  is 
housed.  Labourers  get  from  10  to  12  dollars  per 
month,  and  in  harvest,  from  four  to  five  shillings 
per  day,  and  found. 

The  stock  of  cattle  was  very  much  diminished 
during  the  war,  being  bought  up  for  the  army. 

The  assess  roll  gives  about  3,600  horses,  above 
two  years:  100  oxen,  above  four  years:  6,185 
milch  cows :  1,654  head  of  young  cattle,  above 
two  years  :  900  houses:  88  merchants'  shops  :  24 
store  houses  :  24  grist  mills  :  40  saw  mills  :  there 
are  also  some  fulling  mills  and  carding  machines. 


494  MIDLAND   DISTRICT. 

There  are  in  Kingston,  three  clergymen  of  the 
church  of  England ;  one  Presbyterian,  and  two 
Methodists  :  in  the  country  the  clergy  are  mostly 
Methodists.  Clergymen  and  churches  are  much 
wanted. 

Since  the  legislature  has  appropriated  a  sum  of 
money  for  common  schools,  they  have  increased 
very  much  in  the  country :  in  Kingston  there  are 
six ;  two  grammar,  three  common,  and  one  for 
young  ladies* 

This  country  was  settled  in  1784 :  lands  were, 
of  course,  then  of  no  value  :  they  rose  from  15d.  to 
2s.  6d.  per  acre  :  are  now  worth  from  10s.  to  5l.  the 
acre,  unless  distant,  and  of  an  inferior  quality. 
The  Midland  District,  upon  the  whole,  contains  a 
fine  body  of  land,  and  possesses  many  local  ad- 
vantages, and  only  requires  settlers  that  have  some 
property  to  begin  with,  to  make  it  one  of  the  most 
flourishing  districts  in  the  province.  Kingston 
must  eventually  become  a  populous  town.  At 
present,  the  country  is  but  thinly  settled,  and  to  fill 
it  up  by  its  natural  increase  will  require  a  very 
long  period. 

If  1  have  not  been  able  to  answer  all  your  queries, 
I  believe  the  most  essential  ones  are  taken  notice 
of,  and  hope  they  may  contribute  in  carrying  your 
very  laudable  plan  into  execution. 

I  am,  Sir, 

Your  very  obedient  Servant, 

THOMAS  MARKLAND. 
Mr.  ROBERT  GOURLAY. 


MIDLAND   DISTRICT.  495 

SUMMARY    OF    POPULATION,  &C.    &C. 

THE  reports  from  this  district  being  few  in  pro- 
portion, and  several  of  these  irregular,  I  cannot  give 
an  exact  estimate  of  population;  but  the  following 
•will  not  be  far  wrong. 

Kingston,  Earnest-town,  Adolphus- 
town,  and  Thurlow,  contain  ....  7083 

Sophiasburgh,  having  101  inhabited 
houses,  may  contain ^  606 

Total        7689 

Deducting  from  this  amount  the  popu- 
lation of  the  town  of  Kingston,  viz.  2250, 
the  average  of  the  country  population  of 
these  townships  is  J068,  and  this  average 
may  be  allowed  to  Fredericksburgh,  Ma- 
rysburgh,  Hallowell,  Ameliasburgh,  and 
Sidney,  which  are  all  regularly  organized 
townships ...  .  .  .  5340 

Pittsburgh,  with  Wolf  Island,  Lough- 
borough,  Portland,  Camden,  Richmond, 
and  Rawdon,  though  some  of  them  are 
organized,  will  not  average  above  300 
each  ....  ,iflt  .^ki^ ...  .  .  .  1800 

In  Huntingdon  I  heard  only  of  four 
settlers,  say  ,.>r  . -p_4<  .  .  24 

And  of  none  in  Hungerford,  Sheffield, 
Hinchinbrook,  and  Bedford. 

Total  white  population,       14,853 


496  MIDLAND   DISTRICT. 

The  Indians,  on  the  Mohawk  reserve, 
amount  to  nearly 200 

Total  population      15,053 

This  tract  is  now,  I  believe,  bought  up  by  go- 
vernment, and  will  make  an  excellent  settlement, 
being  generally  composed  of  capital  land,  with  a 
fine  mill  stream  passing  through  it. 

For  the  reported  population  of  7689,  there  ap- 
pear to  be  11  churches,  and  5  resident  ministers  : 
viz.  1  Episcopalian,  i  Presbyterian,  and  3  Metho- 
dists. There  are  10  medical  practitioners,  34 
schools,  and  78  taverns.  In  reflecting  upon  this 
extraordinary  number  of  taverns,  it  must  be  con- 
sidered that  there  are,  perhaps,  near  1500  military 
and  naval  people  about  Kingston,  who  are  not 
reckoned  in  the  population. 

Improvement  is  stated  in  four  of  the  above  reports 
to  be  retarded  by  the  great  quantity  of  land  held 
by  non-occupants,  untaxed.  In  two  reports,  by  want 
of  capital:  in  two  reports,  by  the  bad  state  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  navigation  :  in  one  report,  by  crown 
and  clergy  reserves  :  in  one  report,  by  want  of 
labourers:  in  one  report,  by  want  of  enterprise: 
in  one  report,  by  the  bad  habits  of  the  original 
settlers,  who  were  soldiers,  and  bad  characters 
from  the  United  States:  in  one  report,  by  the  in- 
discriminate admission  of  people  from  the  United 
State  :  in  one  report,  by  want  of  skill  in  husbandry: 
in  one  report,  by  want  of  emigrants  with  capital: 
in  on*  re  port,  by  the  great  number  of  poor  emigrants: 
in  one  report,  by  the  want  of  a  provincial  bank. 


MIDLAND    DISTRICT.  497 

A  canal  has  been  talked  of  to  connect  the  head 
of  the  bay  of  Quinte  with  lake  Ontario  ;  but  on 
looking  to  the  ground,  I  found  that  the  execution 
would   be   more  difficult   than    was  represented; 
neither  would  it  be  of  much  use  in  a  commercial 
point  of  view.     In   war-time  it   might  assist  in 
playing   at  bo-peep  along  the  shore,   should  the 
Americans  gain  command  of  lake  Ontario  ;  but  in 
that  event  the  game  would  be  of  short  continuance. 
The  same  cause  which   has  surrounded  Little 
York  with  a  desert,  creates  gloom  and  desolation 
about  Kingston,  otherwise  most  beautifully  situ- 
ated ;  I  mean  the  seizure  and  monopoly  of  the 
land  by  people  in  office  and  favour.  On  the  east  side, 
particularly,  you  may  travel  miles  together  without 
passing  a  human  dwelling;  the  roads  are  accordingly 
most  abominable  to  the   very  gates   of  this,    the 
largest  town   in  the   province ;    and  its  market  is 
often  supplied    with  vegetables  from  the  United 
States,  where  property  is  less  hampered,  and  the 
exertions  of  cultivators  more  free,  accordingly. 


K  K 


498  JOHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 


WOLFORD. 


January  1 1818. 

ANSWER  to  Query  1st.  The  township  of  Wol- 
ford,  on  the  river  Rideau,  is  situated  north  of  Kit- 
ley;  south-west  of  Oxford  ;  twenty  miles  east  of 
the  town  of  Perth ;  and  is  10  miles  square. 

2d.  The  township  was  settled  in  1797.  In  the 
census  taken  in  the  year  1817,  the  population  con- 
tained upwards  of  300  of  both  sexes,  and  the  num- 
ber of  inhabited  houses  is  55. 

3d.  Divine  worship  is  performed  once  a  fort- 
night in  one  of  the  school  houses,  by  a  professor  of 
the  episcopalian  Methodist  church, 

4th.  One  medical  practitioner  at  present. 
5th.  Four  common  schools  ;  three  are  paid  100 
dollars  per  annum  by  the  province ;  the  other  is 
paid  by  the  inhabitants :    the  average   price  per 
quarter  to  each  scholar  is  15s. 

6th  and  7th.  Four  taverns  and  stores. 
8th.  Three  mills  for  grinding  grain,  four  mills 
for  sawing  timber,  and  one  for  carding  wool.     The 
price  for  grinding  grain  is  ^,  for  sawing  timber  f, 
and  for  carding  wool,  5d.  per  Ib. 

9th.  The  soil  is  variable  ;  but  generally  a  sandy 
surface. 

10th.  Oak,  maple,  beech,   pine,  hemlock,  ash : 
but  chiefly  maple. 

llth.  None,  except  limestone  and  iron  ore. 
3 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  499 

12th.  Large  quantities  of  limestone  can  be  ob- 
tained at  two  dollars  a  toise. 

13th.  Very  few  have  been  imde,  except  for 
private  use ;  but  large  quantities  of  clay,  near  the 
surface,  of  excellent  quality. 

14th.  None  for  sale ;  some  for  private  use. 

15th.  Blacksmiths,  masons,  carpenters,  &c.  7s. 
6d.  per  day. 

16th.  During  the  winter  months,  seven  dollars, 
and  the  summer,  from  10  to  12  dollars.  In  har- 
vest, generally  a  dollar  per  day,  or  a  bushel  of 
whatever  grain  he  is  hired  to  reap. 

Women  generally  a  dollar  per  week, 

17th.  Mowing  or  cradling  an  acre  of  grass  or 
wheat,  2s.  6d.,  including  board. 

18th.  Clearing  and  fencing  an  acre,  41.;  the 
person  contracting  finding  himself  in  board,  &c. ; 
if  found  in  board,  Si. 

19th.  An  horse,  15l. ;  a  cow,  51.  ;  an  ox,  81.  ; 
a  sheep,  7s.  6d.,  if  bought  after  shearing;  if  not, 
the  price  various. 

20th.  Three  pounds,  and  sells  for  2s.  6d.  per  Ib. 

21st.  Beginning  of  November,  and  first  of  May 
generally. 

22d.  Commences  in  December,  and  generally 
ends  in  March :  begin  ploughing  latter  end  of 
April,  or  beginning  of  May. 

23d.  Fall  wheat  generally  sowed  in  September; 
spring  wheat  in  beginning  of  May,  and  reaping 
commences, — winter  wheat  in  the  beginning  of 
August,  and  spring  wheat,  and  other  grain,  about 
the  first  of  September. 

K  K  2 


500  JOHNSTOWN  DISTRICT. 

24th.  A  bushel  and  a  peck,  Winchester  measure. 
An  average  crop,  when  well  cultivated,  "20  bushels 
per  acre,  and  sometimes  25. 

25th.  If  the  pasture  is  good,  and  the  ox  not 
worked,  he  will  in  general  gain  three  cwt. 

26th.  A  man  who  takes  shares  of  crops  on  new 
lands,  if  found  ^  of  the  crop.  Manure  is  generally 
applied  for  all  kinds  of  crops. 

27th.  Answered  in  the  last. 

28th.  The  price  of  wild  land  at  the  first  settle- 
ment of  the  township,  Is.  3d.  per  acre,  provided  it 
was  remote  from  any  settlement.  According  as  the 
township  became  settled,  and  increased  in  popu- 
lation, wild  lands  enhanced  in  proportion,  so  that 
at  present  it  is  worth  5s.  per  acre. 

29th.  Unknown. 

30th.  In  tolerable  repair,  and  passable  in  sum- 
mer and  winter  for  any  kind  of  carriage.  In 
spring  and  autumn  they  are  rather  bad  ;  but  are 
capable  of  great  improvement  at  a  moderate  ex- 
pence.  The  water  conveyance  could  be  made 
passable  for  boats  of  any  burthen,  without  the  as- 
sistance of  locks,  &c.  The  government  of  this 
province  have  it  in  contemplation  to  erect  a  canal 
along  the  river  Rideau,  and  continue  it  to  Kingston, 
which,  if  it  succeeds,  will  be  a  great  acquisition  to 
this  part  of  the  country. 

31st.  According  to  the  number  of  settlers  now 
established  in  this  township,  the  township  has  im- 
proved in  proportion.  The  province,  in  general,  it 
is  not  in  our  power  to  answer  the  cause  that  retards 
its  improvement.  The  only  thing  that  would  con- 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  501 

tribute  to  the  improvement  of  the  township  would 
be  to  send  out  new  settlers,  distribute  the  crown 
and  clergy  reserves,  which  occupies  £ths  of  every 
township. — STEPHEN  BURRET,  JOSEPH  HAS- 
KINS,  Sen.,  WM.  MERICK,  JOSEPH  HASKINS, 
Jun.,  JOSEPH  KNAPP,  ASAHEL  HURD,  WILLIAM 
N.  EASTON,  HENRY  BURRET,  CALVIN  BURRET, 
RICHARD  OLMSTED,  BENJAMIN  MARKER,  WM. 
DAVIS,  (Capt.  2d.  Regt.  Grenville  Militia),  DA- 
NIEL BURRET,  (Lt.-Col.  3d.  Regt.  Grenville 
Militia),  J.  H.  DAVIS,  (Town  Clerk),  DANIEL 
THOMAS,  (Adjt.  2d.  Regt.),  NATHAN  BROWN, 
EDWARD  Me  CRAE,  STEPHEN  MERICS,  THO- 
MAS Me  CRAE,  JAMES  Me  LEAN,  LUTHER  CLIF- 

TEN,  EL.  COLLER,  EDMUND  BURRET,  HARLEY 

EASTON,  ABELE  ADAMS,  DANIEL  Me  CARTHY. 


ADDITIONAL 

To  Mr.  Robert  Gourlay. 

Wolford,  26th  Jan.  1818. 

SIR, 

You  will  see  our  names  to  a  former 
letter  addressed  to  you  from  this  place.  After  a 
more  serious  consideration  of  query,  number 

30th.  The  water  communication  of  the  river 
Rideau  is  capable  of  great  improvement  by  ca- 
nalling,  which  may  be  done  at  small  expence,  for 
boats  of  three  tons,  as  most  of  the  materials  may 
be  obtained  on  the  spot. 


502  JOHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 

31st.  On  the  first  settlement  of  this  province, 
or  shortly  after  the  disturbance  in  Europe  com- 
menced, and  no  emigration  took  place  from  that 
country,  the  government  of  this  province  made 
proclamation  for  settlers  from  the  United  States:  a 
number  applied  and  obtained  such  titles  as  the 
government  were  at  that  time  giving,  and  sold 
them,  and  returned  to  the  states ;  and  the  pur- 
chasers have  obtained  titles  of  the  same,  and  hold 
their  lands  at  so  high  a  price  that  the  poor  are 
not  able  to  purchase.  This  is  the  reason  that  we 
have  to  offer,  and  what  impedes  the  settlement  of 
this  province,  or  this  place. 

From  the  mouth  of  the  river  Rideau  to  Perth, 
on  the  Tay,  is  a  distance  of  about  70  miles,  and  a 
small  part  a  good  settlement,  and  the  other  part 
land  good  for  settling,  and  the  river  affords  a 
number  of  excellent  mill  seats. 

We  are,  with  respect, 

Your  very  humble  Servants, 

STEPHEN  BURRET, 

DANIFX  BURRET,  (Lt.-Col.  2d.  Regt.  G.M.) 

WM.  MERICK, 

HENRY  BURRET. 


LANDSDOWN. 

INFORMATION,  answering  certain  queries  pro- 
posed in  a  paper  transmitted  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Landsdown,  county  of  Leeds,  U.  C.  from  Robert 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  503 

Gourlay,  dated  Queenston,  1817,  respecting  the 
local  situation,  soil,  produce,  agricultural  improve- 
ments, &c.  &c. 

1st.  Township  of  Landsdown,  situated  on  the 
river  St.  Lawrence,  in  width  six  miles  in  front 
and  rear;  in  depth,  16  concessions,  or  ranges  of 
lots  about  one  and  a  quarter  mile  in  length,  and 
about  80  rods  in  width. 

2d.  This  town  was  laid  out  in  June,  1788,  as 
was  Leeds  above,  and  part  of  the  township  of 
Yonge  below,  at  that  time  a  wilderness  of  30  miles, 
and  first  lot  taken  up  and  first  settled  under  the 
patronage  of  Lord  Dorchester,  of  Quebec,  by 
Oliver  Landon,  whose  family  then  was  a  wife  and 
six  boys,  with  a  gift  of  200  acres  of  land,  called 
Lord  Dorchester's  Bounty :  the  same  man  now 
living  in  this  town  with  nine  sons,  six  sons'  wives, 
nineteen  grandsons,  and  twelve  granddaughters, 
and  also  three  daughters,  with  two  children,  being 
31  grandchildren,  and  total  59  of  his  family.  In- 
habitants in  the  front  of  this  township,  205. 
Houses,  36,  and  all  in  first  and  second  concessions. 

3d.  One  school  house,  and  for  public  worship, 
Methodist  every  Sabbath,  and  occasionally  Bap- 
tists and  Presbyterians  ;  but  no  settled  preachers . 

4th.  Medical  practitioners  none. 

5th.  Schools,  one  assisted  by  government,  251., 
and  by  the  people,  4s5l.  annually. 

6th.  Stores,  one. 

7th.  Taverns,  or  inns,  three. 

8th.  Mills  ;  one  saw  mill. 

9th.  Soil  composed  of  sandy  loam  and  clay,  and 


504  JOHNSTOWN   DISTRICT. 

the  surface  level,  and  well  watered  with  small 
streams  and  springs,  and  may  be  considered  as  an 
excellent  township  for  wheat  and  grass,  as  well  as 
oats,  pease,  and  flax,  potatoes,  &c.  All  kinds  of 
produce  flourish,  but  much  depends  on  the  hus- 
bandry of  the  land. 

10th.  Timber:  oak,  pine,  ash,  maple,  birch, 
beech,  walnut,  hemlock,  black  spruce,  alder,  willow, 
and  elder  ;  apples  and  plums,  together  with  cherry, 
will  thrive  here. 

llth.  Minerals,  no  discovery, 

12th.  But  one  quarry  of  building  stone,  and  ob- 
tained by  digging,  and  that  with  ease,  and  of  good 
quality. 

13th.  Bricks  have  been  made  here,  and  the  ma- 
terials abundant ;  are  worth  about  six  dollars  per 
1000. 

14th.  Limestone  has  not  been  discovered  in  this 
town ;  but  abundantly  supplied  in  the  township 
of  Leeds  adjoining. 

15th.  Blacksmiths-  work :  axes,  10s. ;  horse  shoe- 
ing, 10s.;  chains,  per  Ib.  Is.  3d. ;  masons,  ,5s.  to  JOs. ; 
carpenters  the  same,  and  boarded. 

16th.  Labourers:  from  120  to  150  dollars  per 
year;  ,5s.  per  day  in  haying  and  harvest,  and 
boarded. 

Women  per  week,  ,5s.  house-work  and  spinning. 

17th.  Mowing  grass,  2s.  6d,  per  acre.  Reaping, 
3s.  6d. ;  cradling,  2s.,  board  and  lodging, 

18th.  Clearing  and  fencing  five  acres  (for  the 
harrow  and  seed,  for  this  is  the  way  for  the  first 
crop)  15  dollars  per  acre,  not  boarded. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  505 

19th.  Present  price  of  good  work-horse,  from 
50  to  70  dollars  ;  good  saddle  horse,  sometimes 
100  dollars ;  cows,  from  16  to  30  dollars,  according 
to  size ;  oxen,  from  70  to  100  dollars ;  sheep, 
10s.  to  15s. 

20th.  Average  crop  of  wool  from  sheep  in  spring, 
from  2lbs.  to  5lbs. ;  price  of  wool,  2s.  to  2s.  6d. 
per Ib. 

2 1st.  Cattle  will  do  well  in  the  woods  at  large, 
if  in  good  order,  from  the  first  of  April ;  but  the 
grass  in  fields  is  not  a  support  till  the  month  of 
May.  Time  of  taking  in  to  feed  from  15th  No- 
vember to  25th  Dec.  most  general  1st  Dec. 

22d.  The  ordinary  time  of  snows  fit  for  business 
is  three  months,  and  that  generally  steady,  and 
much  to  the  advantage  of  the  labouring  teamster, 
as  well  as  for  the  convenience  and  pleasure  of  life. 

23d.  We  commonly  begin  ploughing  about  the 
15th  April,  for  spring  crops,  and  mostly  have  in 
our  spring  seed  in  the  month  of  May:  winter 
wheat  last  of  August,  and  first  of  September:  reap- 
ing wheat  the  month  of  August,  first  half;  oats 
and  pease  last  half. 

24th.  It  is  common  to  sow  one  bushel  of  wheat 
on  new  land,  if;  early;  and  If  on  old  land;  with 
respect  to  the  quantity  much  depends  on  tillage, 
from  20  to  40  bushels  per  acre. 

25th.  The  pasture  enclosed  is  common  and 
natural  to  white  clover  and  English  spear  grass, 
and  on  moist  land,  of  which  this  town  abounds, 
yields  an  abundance  very  great.  Cows  will  pro- 
duce 120lbs.  of  cheese,  and  SOlbs.  of  butter,  in  the 

• 


506  JOHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 

season  ;  and  oxen  are  raised  from  six  to  seven 
feet  round  the  girt,  and  will  weigh  from  600  to 
lOOOlbs. ;  60  to  100  weight  of  tallow. 

Butter  per  Ib.  Is.  3d. ;  cheese,  7fd. ;  the  market 
good;  valuable  mills  that  never  fail;  7f  miles 
good  road. 

26th.  Cropping  on  shares  is  various,  and  little 
done  here:  manure  serves  well  on  all  lands;  but 
is  mostly  applied  around  the  barn  and  stable  where 
made. 

27th.  Land  is  rented  at  four  dollars  per  acre ; 
this  is  the  worth  annually.  (Some  mistake  here.) 

28th.  Price  of  wild  land  ;  at  the  first  settlement, 
it  was  sold  at  51.  per  200  acres,  and  has  gradually 
risen  to  one  dollar  per  acre  at  a  distance  from  the 
settlement ;  but  on  the  road  or  river  it  may  be 
valued  at  three  dollars  per  acre,  and  that  without 
any  improvement ;  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  from 
three  to  six  dollars  per  acre. 

29th.  The  quantity  of  land  for  sale  50,000  acres. 

30th.  The  main  road  leading  through  this  town 
from  the  province  of  Lower  Canada  is  at  present 
quite  passable  for  waggons  in  summer,  and  for 
sleighs  in  winter,  and  will  pot  need  great  expence 
to  keep  it  so. 

31st.  The  principal  impairment  which  prevents 
this  township  from  being  settled  is  the  want   of 
spirited  and  industrious  men,  who  having  money, 
might  apply  it  with  safety  and  profit. 
Witness  by  us  the  first  settlers, 

OLIVER  LANDON,    JOSEPH  LANDON, 

BENJAMIN  LANDON,  OLIVER  LANDON,  Jun. 

And  six  others. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  607 

ELIZABETHTOWN,  YONGE,  LANDS- 
DOWN,  LEEDS,  KITLEY,  BASTARD, 
AND  CROSBY. 


Elizalethiown,  Dec.  1817. 

SIR, 

BY  accident  I  saw  your  address  to  the 
landholders  of  Upper  Canada,  and  though  I  have 
not  the  good  fortune  to  come  under  that  class  of 
subjects,  I  am  not  on  that  account  less  interested 
in  the  improvement  and  prosperity  of  the  province. 
Your  plan  of  laying  before  the  British  public  the 
true  state  of  Upper  Canada,  in  a  statistical  form,  is 
a  good  one,  what  I  have  long  wished  to  see,  and 
as  you  are  embarked  in  the  laudable  design,  I  wish 
you  all  possible  success.  After  a  residence  of 
nearly  seven  years  in  the  province,  I  am  convinced 
that  the  truth,  relative  to  the  country,  in  regard  to 
its  climate,  soil,  and  productions,  together  with  its 
facilities  of  trade  and  commerce,  are  only  required 
to  be  fairly  stated,  and  extensively  known,  to 
induce  a  respectable  class  of  emigrants  to  settle  in 
the  country,  and  cast  in  their  lot  with  ours. 

No  assertion  can  be  more  true  than  the  one  you 
have  made,  in  your  address  respecting  the  ignor- 
ance which  prevails  in  England,  in  regard  to  the 
fertile  regions  of  Upper  and  Lower  Canada.  The 
want  of  information  relative  to  Canada,  I  believe 
is  more  general  in  England  than  either  in  Scotland 
or  Ireland.  Perhaps  in  Germany,  from  whence  it 
would  be  exceedingly  desirable  to  draw  settlers, 


508  JOHNSTOWN   DISTRICT. 

the  country  is  little  known  but  as  the  habitation  of 
savages,  and  the  regions  of  beasts  of  prey.  The 
publication  therefore  of  the  statistical  account  in 
the  language  of  that  country,  is  highly  important. 

You  have  indeed  undertaken  a  laborious  work  ; 
but  I  hope,  as  you  have  "  put  your  hand  to  the 
plough,  you  will  not  look  back/'  Allow  me,  Sir, 
to  cheer  your  mind  under  your  toilsome  work.  Be 
not  discouraged  by  the  supineness  of  some  on  the 
one  hand,  or  the  envy  and  malignity  of  little 
minds  on  the  other.  Keep  in  view  the  end  of  your 
work,  and  contemplate  the  satisfaction  you  will 
experience,  in  not  only  forwarding  the  happiness 
of  numerous  families  in  Britain,  and  on  the  conti- 
nent of  Europe,  but  the  essential  benefits  you 
will  render  to  the  parent  state,  and  to  these  long — 
too  long  neglected  provinces.  Yes,  Sir,  in  passing 
through  the  country,  you  have  seen  a  powerful 
empire  in  embryo,  and  its  own  natural  resources 
are  calculated  to  raise  it  to  wealth  and  prosperity. 
May  God  grant,  that  when  cultivated  farms,  po- 
pulous villages  and  cities,  shall  deck  the  face  of  the 
country,  and  the  arts  and  the  sciences  spread  their 
benign  influence,  the  inhabitants  may  exemplify 
all  the  virtues  of  love  of  country,  and  piety. 

I  conceive  it  a  duty  to  transmit  to  you  some 
account  of  this  part  of  the  country,  in  case  you 
should  not  be  supplied  with  a  better.  I  shall 
commence  with  ELIZABETH-TOWN,  which  is  the 
ninth  township  in  ascending  the  river  St.  Law- 
rence. It  is  situated  (see  the  map  as  usual).  It 
is  of  the  usual  dimensions,  about  10  miles  on  the 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  509 

river  in  width,  and  about  14  from  front  to  rear.  It 
was  settled  in  1783.  From  the  line  of  the  town- 
ship, about  two  miles  below  the  village  of  Brock- 
vilie, the  front  presents  a  handsome  and  gradual 
slope  to  the  river,  which  flows  with  a  gentle  cur- 
rent, and  is  nearly  two  miles  in  width.  A  few 
islands  deck  the  bosom  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  which 
affords  a  pleasing  relief  to  the  eye,  in  viewing  the 
expanse  of  water.  In  some  parts  of  the  front  the 
land  is  stony ;  in  others  it  is  sandy.  But  in  ge- 
neral the  soil  is  good,  and  rather  preferable  in  the 
back  parts  of  the  township.  Limestone  every 
where  abounds,  excepting  on  the  front  above 
Brockvilie,  where  the  face  of  the  country  under- 
goes a  considerable  change.  High  banks,  huge 
and  impending  rocks,  composed  of  a  hard  granite, 
producing  but  little  vegetation,  excepting  in  the 
intervals,  and  in  the  cracks  and  crevices,  where  a 
few  stunted  pine  and  hemlock  raise  their  never- 
changing  foliage ;  these,  together  with  the  morse 
and  large  masses  of  rocks,  present  a  gloomy  and 
romantic  view  to  the  traveller.  The  rocks,  how- 
ever, are  of  an  excellent  kind  for  mill  stones.  The 
land  immediately  back  of  the  rocks  (and  these 
only  occupy  a  few  acres  in  front),  is  of  a  very 
superior  quality,  for  all  kinds  of  English  grain  and 
pasturage. 

The  forests  abound  with  oak,  maple,  basswood, 
beech,  birch,  ash,  pine,  hemlock,  cedar,  iron  wood, 
elm,  &c. 

The  village  of  Brockvilie  is  named  from  the 
gallant  chief  who  fell  in  the  battle  of  Queenston. 


510  JOHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 

It  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river, 
and  is  considered  one  of  the  handsomest  villages 
in  Upper  Canada.  There  are  16  two  story  dwel- 
ling houses,  and  44  of  various  other  dimensions,  a 
number  of  which  are  built  with  elegance  and  taste  ; 
three  of  them  are  built  with  brick,  and  two  of 
stone:  In  all,  there  are  64  dwelling  houses  and 
retail  stores. 

The  court  house  is  an  elegant  brick  building. 
It  is  built  on  the  rise  of  ground,  from  which  there 
is  a  beautiful  and  regular  declivity  to  the  river,  and 
commands  an  extensive  prospect  of  the  adjacent 
country. 

The  Presbyterian  church  is  erected  on  the  west 
side  of  the  court  house.  It  is  a  stone  edifice,  60 
feet  by  40.  It  is  considered  the  most  stately  public 
building  in  the  province.  It  presents  an  elegant 
front,  with  a  projection  of  two  feet;  the  corners  of 
the  projection,  the  doors  and  windows,  and  the 
two  front  angles  of  the  building,  are  composed  of 
cut  or  wrought  stone. 

Brockville  is  a  place  of  considerable  trade,  it 
being  the  outlet  of  a  rich,  extensive,  and  well 
settled  country  back.  It  is  likewise  opposite  the 
grand  turnpike  road,  which  leads  to  Utica,  Albany, 
Sackett's  Harbour,  and  other  important  places  in 
the  United  States.  Large  stores  and  wharfs  have 
lately  been  erected  to  conduct  the  forwarding  trade 
on  the  river  and  lakes.  Various  mechanical  em- 
ployments go  forward  ;  blacksmith's  work  (there 
are  three  blacksmiths),  carpentering,  tanning  and 
currying,  saddle  and  harness  making,  shoemaking* 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  511 

tailoring,  &c.  There  is  one  grist,  and  one  saw 
mill  in  the  village  ;  1  grist  mill,  1  carding  machine, 
and  3  saw  mills,  in  the  vicinity  ;  these,  with  other 
things  of  minor  importance,  keep  the  place  in  con- 
siderable life. 

Near  the  centre  of  the  township  is  a  salt  spring ; 
but  no  use  has  ever  been  made  of  it,  excepting 
that  the  cattle  and  deer  frequently  resort  to  it. 
About  two  miles  from  the  west  line  of  the  town- 
ship, there  appears,  from  some  specimens  of  stone 
which  lie  on  the  surface,  to  be  a  quarry  of  free- 
stone ;  but  the  quarry  has  never  been  sought  for,  and 
of  course  no  buildings  have  been  raised  with  them. 

Iron  stone  is  found  in  some  places,  and  ftbm  the 
appearance  of  a  metallic  substance  that  has  been 
found  between  the  first  and  second  concessions 
among  the  rocks,  lead,  or  copper,  or  perhaps  silver, 
is  likely  to  be  deposited.  The  substance  referred 
to,  has  the  appearance  of  gold,  or  rather  like  some 
pieces  of  coal  of  a  glossy  yellow,  but  much  heavier. 
Some  of  it  has  undergone  chymical  process ;  but  it 
evaporated  with  a  sulphureous  smell.  From  what, 
however,  the  writer  of  this  article  has  learned,  the 
experiment  was  hardly  satisfactory.  It  is  also 
reported  that  several  boat  loads  of  it  have  been 
taken  away  by  some  Americans. 

The  roads  in  this  township  are  pretty  good  for 
Upper  Canada:  speaking  of  them  generally,  they 
are  the  best  I  have  seen  in  any  town  in  the  pro- 
vince. The  whole  of  the  front  road  is  pretty  good 
in  <dry  seasons  ;  and  the  road  from  front  to  rear, 
leading  to  Perth,  Bastard,  &c.  is  almost  all  turn- 


512  JOHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 

piked :  roads,  however,  capable  of  great  improve- 
ment. Ditching,  a  thing  much  neglected  through- 
out the  province,  has,  in  some  places,  been  tried 
with  good  success  ;  but  it  is  by  no  means  general. 
What  is  called  turnpiking,  or  throwing  up  dirt 
in  the  centre,  is  much  more  common.  The  roads 
made  in  this  manner,  are  by  far  too  narrow  to 
admit  two  loaded  waggons  or  sleighs  to  pass  with 
ease  and  safety, 

In  the  vicinity  of  Brockville,  lands  have  risen 
400  per  cent.  The  price  of  lands  in  the  rear, 
however,  has  not  risen  so  high ;  for  fifteen  years, 
perhaps,  they  have  not  risen  more  than  50  per  cent. 
In  some  parts  of  the  township,  lands  may  be 
bought  at  three  dollars  per  acre.  In  this  township 
there  are  one  Presbyterian  church,  and  one  Me- 
thodist meeting  house;  nine  saw,  'and  five  grist 
mills ;  two  carding  machines,  and  two  fulling 
works,  --lii  v->; 

The  Presbyterian  minister  preaches  every  sab- 
bath in  Brockville;  "the  Episcopalian  minister 
every  other  sabbath ;  but  there  is  no  church  ;  the 
congregation  meets  in  the  court  house. 

Price  of  lime  at  the  kiln,  6d.  per  bushel ;  price 
of  bricks  per  thousand,  11.  10s. ;  building  stone, 
per  cord,  7s.  6d. ;  wages  of  masons,  carpenters, 
blacksmiths,  &c.  from  5s.  to  7s.  6d.  per  day :  price 
of  butter  Is.  3d. ;  of  cheese  7£d.  per  Ib. 


YONGE  is  the  tenth  in  the  front  range  of  town- 
ships in  Upper  Canada:  it  was  settled  in   If 86. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  513 

To  Yonge  is  now  added  the  Gore,  formerly  called 
Escott,  so  that  this  town  is  about  five  miles  wider 
on  the  river  than  it  is  in  the  rear.  In  the  back 
parts  of  the  township,  limestone  is  found  in  great 
abundance,  and,  in  some  places,  iron  stone.  The 
soil  is  various ;  in  general  it  is  good,  excepting 
on  the  front,  where  it  is  broken  and  rocky.  The 
rocks  are  composed  of  a  white  stone,  with  a  num- 
ber of  sparkling  particles :  it  is  probable  that  quar- 
ries of  marble  may  be  found,  but  the  attention  of 
the  people  is  chiefly  devoted  to  agriculture,  and 
every  thing  not  immediately  connected  with  this,  is, 
not  an  object  of  inquiry  or  enterprise.  The  river  St. 
Lawrence  is  about  five  miles  wide  in  front  of  the 
town.  On  Bridge  island,  opposite  the  township,  is 
the  blockhouse,  which  commands  an  extensive 
prospect  of  the  river. 

In  this  township  there  are  farms  of  one  and 
two  hundred  acres,  with  ten  or  twelve  acres  of 
improvement,  and  a  log  house,  which  have  been, 
and  are  yet  for  sale,  at  three  dollars  per  acre. 

In  Yonge  there  are  ten  saw  and  four  grist 
mills ;  two  carding  machines.  The  timber  the 
same  as  in  Elizabeth  town. 


LANSDOWN  is  the  eleventh  in  ascending  the 
St.  Lawrence.  It  was  first  settled  in  1786.  The 
front  is  broken  and  rocky,  the  soil  rather  poor,  and 
the  farms  in  a  bad  state  of  cultivation,  for  want  of 
industry  and  energy  of  the  occupiers. 

The  land  improves  much  in  the  rear,  where 
L  L 


514  JOHNSTOWN   DISTRICT. 

there  are  some  excellent  farms  in  a  praiseworthy 
state  of  cultivation.  The  price  of  land  from  a 
late  actual  sale  is  two  dollars  per  acre.  The 
front  road  through  this  town  to  Kingston  is  very 
bad ;  the  back  is  rather  better.  Lime  and  iron- 
stone are  found  in  various  parts  of  the  township. 
The  timber  the  same  as  Elizabethtown,  and 
Yonge.  In  the  river,  which  is  very  wide,  are 
some  large  islands,  of  a  very  superior  quality  in 
point  of  soil,  and  from  whence  large  supplies  of 
oak  and  pine  timber  for  the  Quebec  and  Montreal 
markets  have  been  had.  The  temperature  of  the 
air  on  the  islands  in  the  St.  Lawrence  is  milder 
than  on  the  main  continent,  as  the  tender  vege- 
tables thrive  more,  and  come  to  fuller  ma- 
turity. This  may  be  owing  to  the  humidity  of 
the  atmosphere,  occasioned  by  the  large  body  of 
water  in  which  they  are  enveloped.  There  are 
some  inhabitants  on  the  Grand  isle,  which  is  about 
eight  miles  long,  and  on  Grindstone  island,  and 
some  others ;  but  they  have  no  title  to  the  soil. 
They  are  generally  a  poor  and  shiftless  set  of 
people,  spending  too  much  of  their  time  in  fish- 
ing and  hunting  during  those  seasons  of  the  year 
when  they  ought  to  be  cultivating  the  land. 

The  rear  of  Lansdown  is  a  good  deal  over- 
flowed by  the  chain  of  lakes,  called  the  Gan- 
annoque.  The  large  lake  of  this  name  has  its 
chief  seat  in  this  township.  The  scenery  around 
this  beautiful  sheet  of  water  is  surprisingly  grand: 
the  water  of  the  lake  is  remarkably  clear:  the 
shores  of  the  lake  are  various;  in  some  places  a 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  515 

gradual  slope  is  presented ;  in  others,  shelving 
rocks,  with  a  variety  of  trees  and  bushes;  but 
where  the  foot  of  man  never  trod.  In  other 
places  perpendicular  rocks  of  an  immense  height 
strike  the  mind  with  terror,  in  the  cliffs  of  which 
the  eagles  build  their  nests;  and  in  their  dreary 
caverns,  beasts  of  prey  have  their  dens.  In 
viewing  the  various  objects  which  nature  has 
scattered  in  wild  abundance,  the  mind  is  over- 
whelmed with  a  kind  of  pleasing  horror.  Yonder, 
a  few  small  islands  present  themselves,  rising  out 
of  the  bosom  of  the  water:  here,  the  rocks  extend 
into  the  lake,  and  form  a  variety  of  bays  and  pro- 
montories: as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  hills  rise 
upon  hills,  and  mountains  upon  mountains*,  till 
they  mingle  with  the  distant  horizon,  and  are 
lost  in  the  clouds.  The  human  voice  reverberates 


*  My  duty,  as  a  statistical  compiler,  obliges  me  here  to  check 
my  Rev.  Correspondent's  poetical  licence.  There  is  no  such 
thing  in  Upper  Canada  as  a  mountain,  according  to  English  idiom. 
The  highest  ground  in  the  province,  I  believe,  is  "  the  ridge,"  de- 
scribed in  the  report  of  Pelham  township,  to  be  500  feet  high. 
I  have  traversed  much  of  the  country  above  described,  in  which 
is  Ganannoque  river,  its  lakes,  and  many  others.  There  is 
throughout  a  wildness,  irregularity,  and  romantic  beauty,  very 
peculiar.  There  are  scenes  approaching  to  "  the  Troshack's  wildest 
nook ;"  but  there  is  no  Benvenue,  Benlomond,  nor  Benmore. 
There  is  enough  to  inspire  the  Muse,  and  give  her  delightful  sen- 
sations; but  nothing  of  the  sublime,  even  though  the  cliffs  afford 
security  to  the  eagle.  In  the  remote  parts  of  the  province, 
towards  lake  Superior,  &c.  there  are  lofty  mountains;  but  I 
speak  only  of  the  settled  parts,  and  the  vicinity. — R.  G. 
L  L  2 


516  JOHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 

from  rock  to  rock.  Nature^  is  here  seen  in  her 
wildest  dress,  and  the  imagination  is  left  without 
control,  while  it  wanders  from  object  to  object ; 
indeed,  every  thing  is  on  a  scale  of  magnificence; 
sublimity  reigns  in  all  her  glories  ;  it  only  requires 
the  hand  of  industrious  man  to  add  the  beautiful. 
It  may  however  be  said,  that  sublimity  reigns  in 
terror,  for  amidst  all  her  grandeur,  the  eye  has 
to  stretch  far  beyond  the  banks  of  the  lake,  and 
then  only  we  indistinctly  discover  a  few  spots  of 
cultivation. 

The  lake  is  about  three  or  four  miles  wide ;  its 
margin  (and  that  of  all  in  the  neighbourhood)  is 
rocky.  Vast  numbers  of  wolves,  bears,  &c.  in- 
habit this  quarter  of  the  country.  The  waters 
abound  with  great  quantities  of  excellent  fish : 
oak,  pine,  and  other  timber  trees  are  found  in  abund- 
ance, together  with  vast  quantities  of  juniper 
bushes,  bearing  a  large  and  excellent  berry;  also 
sumach,  a  species  of  white  wood  used  for  cabinet 
inlaying.  The  lake  in  many  places  is  shallow. 

The  township  of  LEEDS  is  the  twelfth  from  the 
province  line  on  the  St.  Lawrence.  It  was  first 
settled  in  1785.  The  land  for  some  distance  from 
the  river  is  exceedingly  broken  and  rocky;  the  soil 
of  an  indifferent  quality  throughout  the  township, 
though  there  are  some  patches  of  good  land  here 
and  there  between  the  rocks ;  the  surface  in  ge- 
neral is  uneven  ;  the  township  is  thinly  settled, 
and  cultivation  has  made  but  slow  progress.  In  the 
rear  there  are  some  farms  in  pretty  good  order. 
Lime,  iron,  and  freestone  are  found  in  great  abun- 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  517 

dance,  and  there  is  a  stone  which  withstands 
the  action  of  fire. 

In  the  river  Ganannoque  is  what  is  called  marble 
rock,  and  no  doubt  there  is  a  great  bed  of  this 
valuable  material.  It  rises  above  the  surface  of 
the  water  in  the  middle  of  the  river.  No  use  has 
been  made  of  it,  except  in  making  inkstands  and 
other  trifling  articles. 

On  the  same  river  are  the  iron  works,  which 
belonged  to  the  late  Ephraim  Jones,  Esq.:  they 
are  in  a  state  of  ruin,  and  no  great  use  was  ever 
made  of  them.  The  height  of  the  fall,  the  con- 
stant supply  of  water,  abundance  of  ore,  and  other 
advantages,  render  it  matter  of  regret  that  so  va- 
luable a  property  is  not  put  to  use. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Ganannoque,  on  the  St 
Lawrence,  is  a  village  of  the  same  name ;  the 
number  of  houses  small,  one  of  which  is  two 
stories.  In  the  village  are  two  grist  and  two  saw 
mills.  The  grist  and  saw  mill  on  the  east  side 
of  the  stream  belong  to  Sir  John  Johnston,  but 
are  in  bad  repair.  The  saw  mill  on  the  west  side, 
erected  by  Charles  M'Donnel,  is  of  a  very  superior 
kind,  supposed  to  be  the  best  in  the  two  provinces. 

In  this  village  are  two  blacksmiths'  shops  ;  one 
hatter,  and  two  retail  stores  :  timber  as  in  other 
towns. 

KITLEY  is  in  general  a  good  township  of  land  ; 
but  poorly  watered,  and  in  many  places  the  soil 
is  shallow,  It  is  fast  increasing  in  populations 
limestone  abounds  in  it. 


518  JOHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 

The  timber,  excepting  great  quantities  of  rock 
elm,  is  the  same  as  other  townships. 


BASTARD:  soil  very  superior,  and  many  farms 
in  excellent  order.  Limestone,  ironstone,  and 
freestone  are  all  found  in  this  township. 

The  Rideau  lake  extends  into  the  rear. 

In  this  township  is  the  village  of  Stone  Mills : 
the  mill  here,  belonging  to  W.  Jones,  Esq.  is  un- 
questionably the  best  building  of  the  kind  in 
Upper  Canada.  Besides  the  large  grist  mill,  there 
is*  one  carding  machine,  one  saw  mill,  three  stores, 
and  one  blacksmith's  shop.  The  main  road  through 
this  township  is  pretty  good.  Timber  as  usual. 


SOUTH  CROSBY,  is  well  watered  by  the  Ga- 
nannoque  waters  ;  it  is  very  rocky  and  uneven,  but 
there  is  some  land  of  excellent  quality.  It  is 
very  thinly  settled,  and  the  roads  bad.  Timber 
as  in  the  neighbouring  townships. 


The  following  replies  to  your  queries  will  an- 
swer for  all  the  above  mentioned  townships. 

14th.  Price  of  lime  at  the  kiln,  6d.  per  bushel. 

16th.  Wages  of  common  labourers,  eight  dol- 
lars per  month  in  winter,  and  thirteen  in  summer; 
day  in  harvest  4s.,  or  one  bushel  of  wheat;  wo- 
men 5s.  per  week  ;  mowing  grass,  5s.  per  acre. 

18th.  Clearing,  fencing,  and  preparing  new  land 
for  sowing  with  grain,  fifteen  dollars  per  acre. 

2 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  519 

19th.  Price  of  a  good  work  horse,  sixty  dollars, 

2 1st.  May  and  November. 

22d.  Sleighing  commences  about  the  20th  of 
December:  ends  in  March. 

23d.  Sow  wheat  in  September;    reap  in  August. 

25th.  Price  of  butter,  Is.  3d.  per  Ib. 

27th.  Terms  of  letting  land  on  shares,  half 
the  produce. 

SIR, 

I  am  sorry  that  I  am  not  able  to  send 
you  a  sketch  of  all  the  townships  I  intended. 
Kitley,  Bastard,  and  South  Crosby  are  not  so 
full  as  I  intended.  To  these  I  meant  to  have 
added  Montague,  Elmsly,  Burgess,  North  Cros- 
by, and  the  four  new  townships  in  the  Perth 
settlement,  viz.  Bathurst,  Drummond,  Beckwith, 
and  Gouldburne  ;  but  a  throng  of  ministerial  duties, 
sickness  in  my  family,  and  a  disappointment  in 
the  sources  of  information  regarding  some  of  the 
towns,  have  prevented  me  from  doing  what  I  wished. 
I  shall,  however,  still  keep  the  object  in  view. 
Should  you  make  it  convenient  to  honour  me 
with  a  call  at  my  house,  four  miles  .and  a  half 
above  Brockville,  I  shall  be  extremely  happy 
to  see  you. 

I  a,m,  Sir, 

Your's  truly, 

WILLIAM  SMART, 

Minister  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  Brockville,  and  Missionary  from 
the  Missionary  Society,  London. 

To  ROBERT  GOURLAY,  Esq. 


520  JOHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 

SUMMARY   OF  POPULATION,  &C.  &C. 


Having  no  materials  from  reports  whereby  to 
calculate  the  population  of   this  district,  I   must 
depend   chiefly   on   rny    own   guessing,    with   the 
qualification  of  having  travelled  at  different  times 
in  various  directions  through  it. 

Elizabethtown  is  one  of  the  best  cul- 
tivated and  most  populous  townships  in  the 
province,  and  I  shall  venture  to  set  down 
its  population  at   .     ^M^y  ^^''  *  ^iiaV^  .     2,000 
Yonge  may  rank  next,  at     .  \Mfes%(    .     1,400 
Augusta  ........     !;J  ':;>l.      1,200 

Edwardsburgh  ......  ;'*.'  -ty~   ;>;   1,000 

Bastard    ......     .....     1,000 

Leeds,      Lansdown,      Crosby,     Kitley, 
Wolford,  Oxford,  and  Gower,  at  300  each  .     2,100 

Burgess,  Elmsly,  Montague,  and  Marl- 
borough,  together  .     .     .     .  a$tff*y-^;f  .&$$  ., 


9,200 

In  the  year  1816,  a  settlement  of  emigrants 
began,  under  the  direction  of  the  military,  in  Ba- 
thurst,  Drummond,  Beckwith,  and  Gouldburne; 
and  emigrants  were  also  located  in  various  vacant 
places  throughout  the  first  mentioned  townships 
of  this  district  ;  but  of  these  I  take  no  heed  in  the 
above  estimate  of  population, 

A  few  Indians  reside  in  the  islands,  which  are 
thickly  scattered  in  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  op- 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  521 

posite  to  the  townships  of  Yonge,  Leeds,  and 
Lansdown,  in  this  district ;  but  they  are  too  un- 
important to  be  of  consequence  in  an  estimate  of 
population,  even  if  their  numbers  could  have  been 
ascertained.  Their  chief  occupation  is  fishing. 
Now  that  the  boundary  line  has  been  settled  be- 
tween the  United  States  territory,  and  that  of 
Britain,  through  among  these  islands,  the  Indians 
will  probably  be  soon  either  driven  off,  or  have 
their  right  of  soil,  where  they  claim  it,  purchased 
from  them. 

It  will  excite  a  smile  when  I  plead  excuse  for 
imperfect  knowledge  of  the  population  of  Upper 
Canada,  by  mentioning  that  in  various  quarters  of 
the  province,  a  report  was  spread  that  I  was  an 
agent  of  the  prime  minister  of  England,  sent  abroad 
to  ascertain  how  far  the  people  could  bear  taxation  ; 
and  after  the  ministerial  clamour  was  raised  by  the 
York  parson,  public  offices  were  closed  against  me, 
and  it  was  only  with  much  trouble  that  I  could 
occasionally  get  hold  of  an  assessment  roll!  My 
present  endeavours,  however,  will  clear  the  way 
to  a  more  accurate  account  of  this  benighted  corner 
of  the  British  empire,  when  low  ideas  will  be  ex- 
tinguished, and  party  pique  put  down. 

It  was  the  military  settlement  at  Perth,  which 
first  engaged  my  particular  statistical  inquiries  in 
the  province  of  Upper  Canada.  I  reached  that 
place  the  29th  of  June,  1817,  and  spent  several 
days  there.  At  that  time  my  intention  was-  to 
have  returned  to  England  in  September  following  ; 
but  that  intention  being  delayed,  I  despatched  the 
following  letter  and  statistical  table,  with  directions 


522  JOHNSTOWN   DISTRICT. 

that  it  should  be  published  in  the  newspapers,  and 
a  copy  presented  to  Lord  Bath  erst. 


To  the  Editor  of  any  British  Newspaper*. 

Queenston,  Upper  Canada,  Sept.  15,  1817. 

SIR, 

It  will  be  remembered  by  many  of  your 
readers  that  in  the  spring  of  1815  proclamations 
were  widely  circulated,  inviting  settlers  to  Canada. 

Having  myself  occasion  to  visit  this  country, 
I  was  curious  to  know  what  had  been  the  result, 
especially  as  I  found,  at  Quebec  and  Montreal,  very 
discordant  accounts  respecting  it ;  most  people 
asserting  that  the  scheme  had  failed  of  success,  and 
that  the  settlers  were  in  a  state  of  great  discomfort 
and  discontent. 

To  ascertain  the  truth,  I  diverged  from  my  route 
about  fifty  miles,  and  spent  some  days  at  Perth, 
situated  on  the  waters  of  the  Rideau,  to  which  a 
considerable  body  of  the  people,  who  accepted  the 
invitation  of  government,  had  been  conducted. 
Here  I  traced  the  reported  discontent  to  some  neg- 
lects in  the  general  management,  and  some  ill  con- 
ceived petty  regulations,  capriciously  exercised 
towards  people  tenacious  of  their  rights ;  but  in 
the  main,  universal  satisfaction  prevailed  among 
the  settlers,  and  a  strong  feeling  of  the  good  inten- 
tion of  government  towards  them. 

The  opportunity  being  a  good  one,  of  ascertaining 
the  progress  which  a  promiscuous  body  of  settlers 

*  This  letter,  with  the  Table,  was  published,  I  find,  in  the  Sa- 
lisbury Journal  of  November  34,  1817,  and  other  Newspapers. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  523 

make  in  a  given  time,  I  constructed  the  annexed 
table,  and  had  each  man's  signature  attached,  at 
once  to  prove  the  correctness  of  his  statement,  and 
satisfaction  with  his  situation. 

Should  you  think  this  worthy  of  publication, 
you  are  welcome  to  insert  it  in  your  paper.  It 
may  draw  attention  to  a  most  important  subject, 
the  colonization  of  this  province  with  British  sub- 
jects ;  and  should  it  reach  Scotland,  it  may  afford 
satisfaction  to  many  individuals  who  may  not 
otherwise  know  the  condition  of  their  friends. 

The  scheme  which  government  adopted  in  1815 
was  expensive.  The  settlers  had  a  free  passage, 
rations,  and  tools :  next  year,  rations  and  tools 
were  furnished  to  those  who  came  out ;  and  this 
year  multitudes  of  poor  people  have  come  to 
Canada  in  expectation  of  being  favoured  in  the 
same  way,  but  are  disappointed,  having  nothing 
given  but  the  land  (100  acres  each),  which  many 
of  them,  from  poverty,  are  unable  to  occupy. 

Having  made  it  my  study,  during  three  months 
residence  here,  to  inquire  into  the  nature  of  the 
country,  and  into  every  particular  respecting  set- 
tlement, I  am  convinced  that  very  simple  mea- 
sures might  be  adopted,  by  which  the  redundant 
population  of  Britain  could  be  conveyed,  by  a  re- 
gular flow,  into  Canada,  instead  of  being  wasted, 
to  the  great  prejudice  of  British  interest,  over  the 
whole  of  America :  and  were  such  measures  adopt- 
ed, this  province  could,  in  a  very  few  years,  be 
quite  equal  to  its  own  defence  in  war,  against  the 
United  States. 

ROBERT  GOURLAY. 


524 


STATISTICAL 


Shewing  the  Commencement  and  Progress  of  Improve- 


Original  Profession 
Settlers. 

£ 

is 

J 

From  what  County. 

From  what  Pariih. 

Ij 

«! 

ft 
1815. 

i 

I1 

1815. 

1 

1815. 

Sr  Date  of  taking  Pos  I 
5  icision. 

A  farm  grieve  .  . 

0 

6 

Perth 

Callender 

May  15 

June  24 

Sept.  li 

May  2 

Son  of  tbe  above, 
19  years  old  

Weaver 

0 

1 

0 
6 
5 

Ditto 
Ditto 
Lanark 

Ditto 
Ditto 
Carronwath 

Ditto 
June  2 
May  31 

Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 

Ditto 
Ditto 
Sept.  16 

Aug.  10 
May  32 
May  15 

Dyer  and  Clothier 

Shoe-maker    .... 

1 

6 

Murray 

Rolhes 

April  2 

Ditto 

Sept.  12 

May  1 

Ship-master   
Weaver           .  , 

1 
1 

Wif 
chile 
atb 

0 
0 
0 
0 

3 
5 

e&l 

Heft 
•me 

0 
0 
0 
0 

Ayrshire 
Lanark 

>    Forfar 

Ditto 
Forfar 
Dumfries 
Lanark 

Kelbride 

Glasgow 

Dundee 

Ditto 
St.  Vigin 
Dunscore 
Glasgow 

Aprils 
June  2 

June  1 

Ditto 
Ditto 
June  24 
Ditto 

Ditto 
Ditto 

Ditto 

Ditto 
Ditto 
June  27 
June  34 

Ditto 
Sept.  15 

Sept.  12 

Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 

Ditto 
May  13 

Ditto 

Ditto 
April  13 
Aug.  19 
Ditto 

Mason  j 
Millwright 

Farm-labourer  .  . 
Mason  

Ship-Carpenter.  . 

Schoolmaster.... 
Farmer    

1 

1 
0 
1 
1 
1 

8 
6 
3 
7 
9 
6 
3 

Dumfries 
Ayrshire 
Edinburgh 
Perth 
Lanark 
Lanark 
Lanark 

Hutton 
Kilbirnie 
New  Greyfriars 
Callender 
Glasgow 
Glasgow 
Glasgow 

May  26 
June  SO 
May  19 
May  15 
une  34 
Ditto 
Ditto 

Ditto 
June  30 
June  34 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 

Ditto 
Ditto 
Ditto 
Sept.  li 
Sept.  15 
Ditto 
Sept.  161 

June  7 
April  n 
April  23 
June  1 
May  13 
May  20 
April  17 

Whitesmith    .... 
Farmer 

Weaver  -  .     .... 

Farmer 

Farm-labourer  .. 

Widow  of  William 
Holderness.... 

0 

6 

Yorkshire 

Boebwith 

April  9 

Ditto 

Sept.  15 

May  20 

Farm-labourer  .. 

0 

0 

Berwickshire 

Coldenholm 

une  36 

Julys 

Ditto 

April  31 

Shopkeeper   

1 

1 

Edinburgh 

Canongate 

April  li 

June  33 

Sept.  17 

June  15 

Clerk  in  Proper- 
ty-tax .. 

! 

1 
1 

Ditto 
Ditto 

Corsdorfin 
Ditto 

une  13 
Ditto 

June  34 
Ditto 

Sept.  15 
Ditto 

April  20 
Ditto 

Gardener    

Totals 

15 

7* 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

The  original  table  contained  double  the  number  of  settlers  exhibited  above ;  but  tbeae 


TABLE. 


525 


ment,  in  13  months,  of  the  Emigrant  Settlement  at  Perth. 


1 

51  • 
ii 

i 

No.  of  Acres  chopped. 

No.  of  Acres  cleared. 

No.  of  Acres  in  Wheat. 

No.  of  Acres  in  Oats. 

No.ofAcresinPotatoesJ 
&c. 

1 
S« 

°1 

JS 

i* 

1 

No.  of  Cows,  &c. 

No.  of  Oxen. 

Declaration  and  Signature. 

18  feet  by  20 

9 

*i 

3 

H 

1 

100 

| 

0 

Well  satisfied—  Peter  Me  Pher  sou. 

0 

4 

3 

9 

0 

1 

1 

0 

1 

Well  satisfied—  William  Me  Pherson. 

il  by  18  and  4 

10 

7 

* 

i 

2 

109 

3 

1 

Well  satisfied-James  Me  Laren. 

86  by  91 

9 

8 

34 

U 

3i 

15 

2 

0 

Well  satisfied—  James  Taylor. 

20  by  18 

13 

8 

*4 

i 

3 

95 

8 

0 

Well  satisfied—  John  Simpson. 

91  by  17 

7i 

5 

4 

0 

1 

( 

1 

0 

Well  satisfied—  James  Miller. 

96  by  80 

6 

*1 

3* 

i 

l{| 

35 

1 

0 

Well  satisfied—  Hugh  Me  Kay. 

26  by  19 

9 

8J 

4 

8J 

3 

30 

1 

1 

Well  satisfied-For  Win.  Spalding, 
)         and  self;  Win.  Rutherford. 

19  by  10 

64 

6 

4 

0 

9 

0 

0 

1 

c 

18  by  IS 

6 

6i 

S 

i 

U 

I 

0 

0 

Well  satisfied—  John  Hay. 

Half  of  29  by  22   t 
Ditto 

1 

6 

9 

0 

S 

30 

0 

0 

$  Well  satisfied-For  self  and  partner, 
}Thos.  Me  Lean;  Archibald  Morrison. 

S3  by  19 

7i 

0 

S 

i 

3 

60 

0 

0 

Well  satisfied-John  Holiday. 

23  by  16 

»i 

6i 

»4 

4 

^ 

95 

3 

1 

Well  satisfied—  Alexander  Me  Farlane. 

22  by  1* 

6 

4 

H 

0 

1 

20 

1 

0 

$Well    satisfied—  James  Me  Donald. 
1                     His  X  mark. 

24  by  91 

6 

5 

24 

i 

9 

SO 

1 

0 

Well  satisfied—  John  Ferguson. 

31  by  18 

64 

*i 

2 

4 

2 

25 

1 

0 

Well  satisfied—  John  Flood. 

22  by  18 

8* 

44 

34 

0 

1 

16 

1 

0 

Well  satisfied—  William  Me  Gille  vry. 

18  by  16 

8 

6 

4 

0 

2 

40 

0 

1 

Well  satisfied—  John  Brash. 

99  by  20 

7 

54 

4 

0 

1| 

20 

1 

0 

Well  satisfied—  Ann  Holderness. 

House  burned  down 

n 

*i 

4 

0 

4 

0 

0 

0 

Well  satisfied—  John  Miller. 

16  by  16 

10* 

7 

4 

i 

•1 

20 

1 

0 

Well  satisfied-Wm.  Old. 

18  by  13 

H 

34 

2i 

i 

i 

50 

1 

1 

Well  satisfied—  Francis  Allan. 

18  by  12 

6 

54 

34 

1 

i* 

12 

0 

0 

Well  satisfied—Thomas  Cuddle  . 

0 

1744 

1224 

79J 

If 

Hi      69* 

23 

7 

are  sufficient  for  the  present  purpose.      The  account  was  taken  1st  and  3d  July,  1817. 


526 


TABLE 


Shewing  the  Progress   of  Improvement,    in   24 
months,  at  Perth. 


Names  of  Settlers. 

No.  of 
Acres 
chopped. 

No.  of 
Acres 
cleared. 

No.  of 

fell1 

No.  of 
Acres  in 
other 
Crops. 

No.  of 
Pounds 
of 
Maple 
Sugar 
made. 

No.  o 
Cows 

Oxen. 

Peter  Me  Pherson  and  Son  . 

19 
16 

19 
16 

5£ 
5 

5 

5 

70 
80 

2 
3 

4 
2 

14 

11 

4* 

3 

82 

4 

0 

John  Simpson  

14 

13 

5 

4 

50 

2 

2 

James  Miller  

7 

7 

li 

0 

1 

o 

Hugh  Me  Kay    

10 

9 

3 

3 

60 

? 

o 

Win.  Spalding    

18 

17 

8 

6 

90 

2 

2 

Wm.  Rutherford  

10 

8 

6 

2 

o 

1 

2 

John  Hay    

12 

10 

8 

2 

o 

o 

O 

Archibald  Morrison  

4* 

4* 

3 

U 

o 

o 

0 

10 

^2 

10 

9 

1 

120 

o 

JohnHaliday  

14 

12 

6* 

5* 

100 

1 

2 

Alexander  Me  Farlane  

16 
10 

13 
9 

8 
4 

5 
5 

30 
30 

3 
3 

1 

John  Ferguson     .        .     . 

g 

7 

5 

2 

55 

1 

3 

CfJ 

Wm.  Me  Gillevry  

10 

8 

5 

3 

o 

3 

0 

John  Brash  ••  ••  

12 

9 

5 

4 

70 

3 

9 

8 

34 

44 

50 

3 

John  Miller  

10 

8 

5 

3 

40 

1 

0 

Wm.Old  

13 

10 

5 

5 

30 

4 

0 

Francis  Allan  

7 

7 

3 

4 

65 

2 

9 

8 

3 

5 

20 

2 

2 

Totals   ,    ,.  

2594 

2284 

114 

82 

1092 

44 

00 

104- 

9$ 

4-? 

3i 

454 

The  chief  part  of  the  above  table  was  drawn  out  hy  Mr.  Allan,  one  of  the 
settlers,  at  my  request,  the  1st  of  June,  1818,  say  two  years  from  the  first 
settlement ;  and  I  filled  in  the  particulars  regarding  the  first  eight  names, 
upon  a  visit  to  Perth,  three  weeks  afterwards. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  527 

There  are  several  reasons  for  my  requesting  the 
reader's  particular  attention  to  the  above  tables. 
First,  he  may  compare  the  condition  as  to  stock, 
and  other  circumstances,  of  these  emigrants,  with 
those  of  the  settlers  in  the  former  tables,  a  matter 
which  I  shall,  in  another  place,  particularly  remark 
upon  :  he  may  mark  the  monstrous  waste  and  want 
of  good  arrangement  in  this  instance  of  a  government 
attempt  to  settle  Upper  Canada  with  British  subjects, 
by  inspecting  columns  6,  7,  8,  and  9,  of  the  first 
table.  From  the  two  first  of  these  columns  it 
appears  that  the  settlers  were,  one  with  another, 
more  than  a  month  from  leaving  home  till  they 
embarked :  and  from  the  other  columns  that  they 
were  more  than  a  year  before  they  got  possession 
of  their  lands  in  Upper  Canada, — more  than  a  year 
Jiving  upon  government  allowance,  altogether  idle, 
and  sickening  with  idleness !  But  before  proceeding 
with  the  subject,  I  shall  here  copy  in  the  pro- 
clamation, &c.  published  in  Britain,  to  which  I 
alluded  in  my  letter,  addressed  to  British  editors, 
above  quoted. 


528  JOHNSTOWN   DISTRICT. 

"  BY  THE  AUTHORITY  OF  HIS  ROYAL  HIGHNESS 
THE  PRINCE  REGENT,  ACTING  IN  THE  NAME, 
AND  IN  BEHALF  OF  HIS  MAJESTY,  AND  COMMU- 
NICATED BY  THE  RIGHT  HON.  EARL  BATHURST, 
ONE  OF  THE  PRINCIPAL  SECRETARIES  OF 
STATE. 

«  BRITISH  PROVINCES  IN   NORTH 
AMERICA. 


"  Liberal  Encouragement  by  his  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment to  Settlers  inclined  to  proceed  from  Great  Bri- 
tain and  Ireland ,  and  Provision  by  Vessels,  fyc.for 
their  Passage  to  Quebec  with  their  Families. 

"  It  is  the  intention  of  his  Majesty's  government 
to  encourage  SETTLERS  to  proceed  from  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland  to  the  British  provinces  in 
North  America,  and  for  this  purpose  a  certain 
number  of  vessels  will  be  appropriated  for  the  con- 
veyance of  such  persons  as  may  be  properly  recom- 
mended, together  with  their  wives  and  children, 
to  Quebec,  to  which  port  only  the  conveyance  of 
settlers  free  of  expence,  with  other  advantages, 
will  be  limited  during  the  year.  The  lands  will 
be  granted  to  them  either  in  Upper  or  Lower 
Canada ;  in  which  extent  is  comprehended  a 
choice  of  climate  and  of  soil,  adapted  for  every 
branch  of  cultivation. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  629 

"  The  encouragement  and  advantages  intended 
to  be  afforded  to  settlers,  will  be  as  follows : — 

"  A  passage  and  provisions  during  the  voyage 
will  be  furnished  by  government,  and  on  their 
arrival  in  the  colony,  a  grant  of  100  acres  of  land 
will  be  secured  to  each  family,  of  which  they  will 
be  put  immediately  in  possession,  and  all  their 
male  children  actually  residing  in  the  province 
will  be  entitled,  on  attaining  the  age  of  21  years, 
to  a  similar  grant  of  100  acres  each. 

"  For  the  first  six  or  eight  months,  as  it  may  be 
found  necessary,  after  the  arrival  (in  order  to  enable 
the  settlers  to  establish  themselves  upon  their 
respective  grants,  and  to  clear  and  to  cultivate  a 
portion  of  the  land),  they  will  be  allowed  rations 
from  the  public  stores ;  and,  in  case,  from  unforeseen 
events,  it  should  be  found  requisite,  further  aid,  in 
this  respect,  may  be  afforded  according  to  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  case,  by  issuing  rations  for  a 
limited  period,  at  a  price  under  prime  cost. 

"  Axes  and  other  necessary  implements  will  also 
be  furnished  to  them,  under  certain  regulations,  at 
a  fixed  price,  not  exceeding  half  the  prime  cost. 

"  Should  any  number  of  families,  proceeding  from 
the  same  part  of  the  United  Kingdom,  or  possessing 
any  joint  stock  or  funds,  be  desirous  of  settling  in 
the  same  neighbourhood  in  Canada,  care  will  be 
taken  to  allot  them  lands  as  nearly  as  possible  con- 
tiguous to  each  other ;  and  a  sufficient  portion  of 
land  will  be  appropriated  in  the  midst  of  such 
settlers  for  a  church,  and  for  the  maintenance  of 
a  clergyman  and  schoolmaster;  and  in  case  a  suf- 

M  M 


530  JOHNSTOWN   DISTRICT. 

ficient  number  of  settlers  so  united,  should  be  ac- 
companied from  the  United  Kingdom  by  a  person 
of  either  of  the  above  functions,  who  possesses 
their  confidence,  and  can  be  well  recommended, 
and  who  shall  be  approved  of  by  government,  a 
salary  will  be  provided  of  1001.  per  annum  to  such 
minister,  and  501.  per  annum  to  the  schoolmaster, 
for  such  period  as  shall  afterwards  be  specified. 

"  Persons  who  may  be  allowed  to  proceed  to  Ca- 
nada as  SETTLERS  FROM  SCOTLAND,  must  em- 
bark in  the  month  of  April  from  such  Port  or  Ports 
in  the  Clyde,  as  shall  be  noticed  in  a  future  adver- 
tisement, where  vessels  will  be  ready  to  receive 
those  for  whom  the  necessary  accommodation  will 
be  provided. 

"  In  order  to  prevent  persons  from  making  an  un- 
warranted and  improper  use  of  the  liberality  of 
government,  it  will  be  required  that  every  person 
embarking  for  Quebec,  should  at  the  time  of  em- 
barkation deposit  in  the  hands  of  the  government 
agent  the  following  sum  : — 

"  Every  male  person  above  sixteen  years  of  age, 
161.  sterling:  every  woman,  being  the  wife  of  any 
person  so  embarking,  21.  2s. :  children  under  six- 
teen years  of  age  will  be  conveyed  free  of  ex- 
pence  ;  and  whatever  sums  may  be  so  paid  by  them 
will  be  rep  iid  to  them  or  their  representatives  in 
Can. .da,  at  the  end  of  two  years  from  the  date  of 
their  embarkation,  upon  its  being  ascertained  that 
they  are  settled  on  the  grant  of  land  allotted  to 
them. 

"  John   Campbell,  Esq.  writer  to  his  Majesty's 

2 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  531 

signet,  Abercromby  Place,  Edinburgh,  is  appointed 
by  government,  commissioner  and  general  agent 
in  Scotland  for  this  business,  to  whom  communi- 
cations may  be  made. 

<%  As  the  time  for  embarkation  of  settlers  is  limited, 
such  as  are  at  a  distance,  and  who  wish  to  em- 
brace the  present  opportunity  of  settling  in  British 
America,  will  do  well  to  send  by  post  their  pro- 
posals and  certificates  without  any  delay.  Those 
testimonials  must  certify  the  general  good  charac- 
ter of  applicants — their  professions — former  pur- 
suits— whether  married  or  widowers — the  num- 
ber of  their  children,  distinguishing  male  and 
female;  and  the  ages  of  all.  These  must  be  ob- 
tained either  from  justices  of  the  peace,  clergymen, 
or  elders  of  the  parish,  or  other  respectable  persons. 

"  It  is  recommended  that  the  utmost  care  be  taken 
by  those  who  grant  certificates,  that  they  are  sa- 
tisfied, from  personal  knowledge,  of  the  facts  con- 
tained in  the  representation  of  the  circumstances. 
"  Abercromby  Place,  Edinburgh,  Feb.  22d,  1815." 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  FOREGOING 
CONDITIONS. 

THE  commissioner  in  the  agency  for  government, 
has  received  a  vast  number  of  letters,  requesting 
information  in  regard  to  the  terms  that  have  been 
published  for  applicants,  to  be  settlers  in  Canada. 

It  has  been  impossible  to  give  answers  to  all 
M  M  2 


532  JOHNSTOWN   DISTRICT. 

these  letters  consistently  with  the  necessary  at- 
tention to  other  branches  of  this  business,  especially 
as  the  time  of  embarkation  fixed  by  government, 
(i.  e.  in  April,  in  the  Clyde)  fast  approaches. 

Many  of  the  questions  put,  may  be  easily  solved 
by  an  attentive  re-perusal  of  these  terms,  or  by  hav- 
ing recourse  to  intelligent  neighbours,  and  are  to  be 
found  in  all  the  newspapers  published  in  Scotland, 
for  several  weeks  back,  and  they  have  been  already 
transmitted  for  publicity  to  every  clergyman,  and 
will  be  immediately  pasted  upon  every  post-office 
throughout  Scotland. 

They  will  also  be  seen  or  delivered  at  the  office, 
in  Abercromby  Place,  Edinburgh,  and  at  Mr. 
Duncan's,  printer  to  the  university,  Argyl  Street, 
Glasgow. 

It  cannot  be  too  much  impressed  on  the  minds 
of  applicants,  nor  too  often  enforced  by  those  with 
whom  they  advise,  that  the  wishes  and  intentions 
of  his  Majesty's  government  are  directed,  not  to 
an  increase  of  emigration  from  this  part  of  the 
United  Kingdom,  but  to  divert  to  the  British 
provinces  in  North  America,  the  surplus  popu- 
lation, which  would  otherwise  proceed  to  the 
United  States. 

Accordingly,  no  solicitation  whatever  has  been 
used  by  this  office  to  induce  persons  or  families  to 
go  to  Canada, 

The  agent  for  government,  agreeably  to  the  in- 
structions received,  has  uniformly  abstained  from 
exciting  any  desire  for  leaving  Scotland,  that  did 
not  before  exist,  and  has  repeatedly  pointed  out. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  63$ 

especially  to  the  more  ignorant  of  the  persons  ap- 
plying, every  circumstance  of  information,  to  pre- 
vent disappointment,  and  to  preclude  the  pos- 
sibility of  misunderstanding. 

The  following  particulars  published  by  authority 
of  his  Majesty's  government,  will  serve  as  an  ex- 
planation of  the  terms  offered  to  settlers  properly 
recommended,  and  will  supersede  the  necessity  of 
answering  many  of  these  letters,  and  of  many 
verbal  inquiries. 

LANDS* 

1st.  The  settlers  shall  have  the  option  as  to  the 
province,  whether  of  Upper  or  Lower  Canada; 
but  the  precise  spot  must  be  regulated  by  the 
governor  of  the  colony. 

2d.  The  grants  of  land  will  be  made  under  the 
same  regulations  as  all  grants  of  land  in  Canada 
are  made.  No  new  ones  will  be  imposed. 

3d.  The  grant  will  be  made  on  their  arrival,  by 
deed,  free  of  expence,  and  will,  as  all  other  grants 
do,  revert  to  the  crown,  upon  being  abandoned,  or 
not  cultivated  by  the  settlers. 

4th.  In  answer  to  a  query  which  has  been  fre- 
quently put,  whether  government  sell  lands  in 
Canada? — it  will  be  noticed  that  there  is  no  diffi- 
culty in  making  purchases  in  Canada,  or  in  ob- 
taining leases  of  crown  lands  to  any  extent.  Per- 
sons with  capital,  who  take  out  labourers,  will 
receive  larger  grants,  proportioned  to  their  capital, 
and  their  means  of  cultivation. 


534  JOHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 

DEPOSIT. 

5th.  The  deposit  of  161.  for  persons  above  the 
age  of  sixteen,  and  21.  2s.  for  wives,  &c.  is  indis- 
pensable. No  security  can  be  taken  in  lieu  of 
money.  This  is  intended  both  as  a  pledge  that  the 
settlers  shall  perform  the  conditions  on  their  part, 
and  to  prevent  persons  from  availing  themselves  of 
a  passage  to  the  United  States.  It  also  prevents 
persons  of  bad  character  from  obtruding  themselves 
among  respectable  settlers. 

CERTIFICATES. 

6th.  Applicants  are  desired  to  be  particular  in 
the  certificates  they  lodge,  in  terms  of  the  paper 
formerly  published  of  22d  February  last.  The 
requisites  for  certificates  are  as  follow:  viz. 

I.  General    good    character:    applicants,    who, 
from  misfortunes,  have  failed  in  their  circumstances, 
must  bring  a  regular  discharge  from  their  creditors, 
or  satisfactory  evidence  of  a  fair  surrender  or  com- 
promise ;  otherwise  they  will  not  be  suffered  to 
embark,  and  shall  forfeit  their  deposit.     And  for 
the   purpose  of  detecting   any  imposition  in  this 
respect,  the  list  of  applicants  and  settlers  is  open 
for  inspection. 

II.  Occupation  or  trade. 

III.  Former  occupation,  if  changed. 

IV.  Whether  married,  unmarried,  or  widowers. 

V.  The  number  of  children,  &c.  who  accompany 
them,  distinguishing  male  and  female. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  535 

VI.  The  ages  of  all. 

7th.  Recourse  must  be  had  to  parish  registers  for 
proof  of  marriages  and  births,  or  where  this  cannot 
be  obtained,  other  satisfactory  evidence.  Appli- 
cation may  be  made  for  this  purpose  to  magis- 
trates, clergymen,  elders  of  the  parish,  schoolmasters, 
or  other  respectable  persons,  with  a  reference  to 
persons  here  or  at  Glasgow,  when  necessary. 

8th.  It  will  be  necessary  that  those  who  have 
made  up  their  minds  to  proceed  to  Quebec,  shall 
immediately  produce  the  necessary  certificates,  and 
lodge  their  deposit,  in  order  that  when  the  number 
is  filled  up  for  this  season,  the  public  may  be  ap- 
prized, to  prevent  disappointment,  especially  to 
those  at  a  distance. 

LIMITATION    OF    NUMBERS. 

9th.  His  Majesty's  government  have  judged  it 
expedient  to  limit  the  number  to  be  provided  with 
passages  from  Scotland  to  Canada,  for  this  season, 
to  2000  persons  of  the  age  of  sixteen  and  upwards, 
with  a  proportion  of  children. 

ACCOMMODATIONS    ON    THE    PASSAGE. 

10th.  The  freight  or  charge  for  children  above 
sixteen,  and  under  twenty-one,  to  be  paid  for  as 
grown  persons. 

llth.  Bedding  and  other  accommodation  will 
be  provided  for  each  settler,  the  same  as  troops 
embarking  for  Canada  receive. 

12th.  If  surgeons  are  required  for  the  voyage, 
they  will  be  provided  by  the  Transport  Board. 


536  JOHNSTOWP  DISTRICT. 

13th.  If  settlers  shall  export  articles  liable  to 
export  duties  here,  or  import  duties  in  Canada, 
they  cannot  be  exempted  from  the  usual  custom- 
house regulations. 

14th.  No  travelling  expence  paid  to  Glasgow. 
From  thence  the  settlers  will  be  conveyed  in  small 
vessels  to  the  transport  vessels. 

15th.  Settlers  will  be  carried  out  in  transports, 
under  the  same  regulations  as  those  under  which 
troops  are  carried  out,  two  tons  being  allowed 
per  man. 

16th.  The  necessary  tonnage  will  be  in  the  Clyde 
in  April,  and  proceed  to  Quebec  as  soon  after  as 
circumstances  will  permit. 

OTHER    PARTICULARS. 

17th.  In  regard  to  pensions  of  sergeants,  privates, 
&c.  measures  will  be  taken  by  government  for 
continuing  their  pensions,  and  for  their  payment 
in  Canada. 

18th.  As  to  single  men  (for  instance,  two  bro- 
thers), who  may  be  under  or  above  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  they  go  out  as  independent  settlers, 
i.  e.  each  brother  above  twenty-one  years  old, 
will  have  a  grant  of  100  acres.  If  one  brother 
only  is  above  that  age,  he  may  take  out  his  brother, 
who  will,  on  attaining  the  age,  have  a  similar  grant 
of  land  given  him  under  similar  conditions. 

19th.  A  young  man,  under  or  above  twenty-one, 
may  take  out  his  sister  on  the  same  terms  as  a 
wife,  as  specified  in  the  regulations,  upon  deposit- 
ing 31.  2s. ;  but  not  more  than  one  sister. 


TOWNSHIN   REPORTS.  537 

20th.  The  settlers  will  be  forwarded  as  troops 
are  forwarded,  from  Quebec  to  their  place  of 
residence,  either  on  foot  or  otherwise,  as  may  ap- 
pear most  expedient  to  the  governor. 

21st.  Any  settlers  wishing  to  settle  together,  will 
be  permitted  to  do  so,  on  stating  their  intentions 
previous  to  sailing.  Each  settler  above  twenty-one, 
will,  whether  single  or  in  company  with  others, 
have  100  acres,  as  stated  in  the  conditions. 

22d,  Single  women  will  not  be  permitted  to 
proceed  as  settlers,  unless  they  are  daughters  of  a 
settler,  or,  as  above  mentioned,  the  sister  of  a 
settler. 

23d.  No  encouragement  will  be  given  to  widows 
with  families,  or  without ;  but  their  children  may 
go  out  as  independent  settlers,  upon  the  footing 
already  stated. 

24th.  A  wife  may  follow  her  husband  at  a  future 
embarkation,  in  case  such  shall  take  place,  upon 
her  depositing  21.  2s. 

25th.  Grandchildren  will  be  permitted  to  go  out, 
and  will  receive  the  same  encouragement  as  chil- 
dren accompanied  by  their  parents,  on  their  at- 
taining the  age  of  twenty-one. 

26th.  The  term  prime  cost,  as  relative  to  imple- 
ments and  rations,  is  to  be  understood  to  be  what 
the  articles  cost  in  this  country  (Great  Britain), 
and  is  therefore  sterling  money. 

27th.  All  persons  above  sixteen  must  make  the 
deposit  required,  whether  servants  or  others. 

28th.  His  Majesty's  government  are  to  extend 
the  bounty  mentioned  in  the  terms  already  pub- 
1 


538  JOHNSTOWN   DISTRICT. 

lished  for  clergymen,  pastors,  and  schoolmasters, 
without  any  distinction  of  religious  sect,  and  they 
will  each  be  entitled  to  100  acres.  They  must 
each  deposit  the  same  money  as  the  common 
settlers. 

29th.  The  assistance  required  in  building^  their 
churches,  chapels,  houses,  school-houses,  &c.  or 
enclosures,  if  such  shall  be  required,  must  be  given 
by  the  settlers  who  accompany  them. 

30th.  In  answer  to  a  query  put,  whether  govern- 
ment give  arms  and  ammunition  to  settlers,  or  any 
part  of  them,  for  protecting  themselves  ?  they  will 
be  protected,  as  all  other  settlers  are  ;  but  there  is 
no  necessity,  from  the  nature  of  the  place,  for  arm- 
ing individuals,  except  in  the  case  of  actual  war  ; 
and  in  regard  to  arms  for  private  use,  every  man 
may  in  this  exercise  his  own  discretion,  as  in  other 
British  dominions. 

31st.  Rations  will  be  allowed,  free  of  any  charge 
or  deduction,  for  a  limited  time,  as  per  conditions 
of  22d  February  last.  The  governor  will  exercise 
a  discretion  afterwards  on  this  point  according  to 
the  circumstances  of  the  case. 

32d.  It  is  not  intended  to  encourage  other  me- 
chanics than  those  who  may  be  useful  in  agricul- 
ture, or  in  making  a  first  settlement ;  such  as  car- 
penters, masons,  bricklayers,  smiths,  &c. 

*#*  No  Person  whatever  in  the  Highlands,  or 
Hebrides,  or  elsewhere,  has  any  delegated  autho- 
rity from  the  Government  Agent>  to  induce  per- 
sons to  become  settlers  in  Canada. 

Abercromby  Place,  Edinburgh,  March  24th,  1815. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  539 

Nothing,  certainly,  can  appear  more  fair,  can- 
did, and  liberal,  than  the  terms,  declarations,  and 
sentiments  of  the  above  publications  of  our  home- 
government  ;  yet  I  shall  have  reflections  to  make 
upon  them,  in  another  place,  which  will  not  tally 
with  these  characteristics.  Here  my  object  is  only 
to  record  facts,  and  arrange  information  as  ground- 
work for  future  reference  and  discussion.  With 
this  view,  it  is  proper  to  note  what  happened  in 
the  execution  of  the  scheme  of  emigration  now  be- 
fore us. 

Attention  has  already  been  attracted  to  the  facts 
staring  from  the  statistical  columns,  that  a  month 
was  spent  by  the  emigrants  of  181,5,  between  the 
time  of  leaving  home  and  time  of  embarking;  and 
that  a  whole  year  elapsed  from  the  latter  period  till 
the  time  of  their  getting  possession  of  the  promised 
land. 

On  their  arrival  in  Canada,  it  appeared  as  if  not 
the  slightest  understanding  with  regard  to  them  had 
previously  subsisted  between  the  home  and  colonial 
government.  No  land  had  been  laid  out  for  their 
occupation,  and  surveyors  from  all  quarters  had  to 
be  hastily  put  in  requisition  to  effect  this  ;  but  so 
late  was  it  in  completion,  that  at  the  beginning  of 
the  following  summer  there  was  not  room  pro- 
vided to  hold  the  party  together,  and  many  strag- 
gled off  to  other  quarters  of  the  country,  much  to 
the  detriment  of  the  principal  settlement.  The 
principal  place  of  settlement  lay  20  miles  within 
the  wilderness,  and  through  this  the  emigrants, 
unaccustomed  to  the  woods,  and  unskilled  in  the 


640  JOHNSTOWN   DISTRICT. 

use  of  the  axe,  had  to  cut  themselves  a  road,  their 
labour  sweetened  with  the  customary  reflection  of 
Canadian  farmers,  that  idle  drones  shared  in  its 
profits  ;  that  they  were  toiling  for  the  good  of  non- 
occupants  ;  and  here  a  single  family  held  possession 
of  18,000  acres,  the  reward  of  General  Arnold's 
constancy  during  the  revolutionary  war  of  America* 

While  the  settlers  at  Perth  most  readily  and 
warmly  expressed  to  me  their  satisfaction  with  the 
country,  their  farms,  and  the  good  intention  of 
government  towards  them,  their  complaints  of  bad 
agency  were  almost  unanimous,  and,  from  some,  bit- 
ter in  the  extreme;  indeed  the  whole  country  round 
was  loud  in  exclamations  on  this  subject,  and  a 
little  specimen  of  the  prevailing  spirit  and  feeling 
has  appeared  in  one  of  the  Kingston  reports.  In 
that  report,  the  word"/>wp/?zW  does  not  seem  very 
polite  ;  but,  in  fact,  it  has  turned  out  not  only  jus- 
tifiable,  but  singularly  appropriate,  for  one  of  the 
persons  alluded  to  has  since  proved  himself  to  be 
a  thievish  dog,  by  embezzling  the  government 
stores  to  a  great  amount,  and  then  flying  the 
country. 

In  my  letter  to  the  editors  of  British  newspa- 
pers, above  quoted,  I  slurred  over  what  I  had  then 
heard  as  well  as  I  could  ;  partly,  because  I  did  not 
then  believe  the  worst  that  was  said  ;  partly,  be- 
cause it  was  not  for  me,  publicly  to  proclaim  the 
misconduct  of  individuals  ;  and  partly,  because  I 
hoped  to  be  soon  home,  where  I  might  privately 
communicate  my  information  to  those  in  authority, 
who  might  effectually  interfere.  Now,  though 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  541 

interference  or  correction  are  out  of  the  question, 
it  may  still  be  of  use  to  record  some  of  the  ways 
in  which  the  emigrants  were  maltreated,  and  ren- 
dered uncomfortable,  to  shew  how  the  most  gene- 
rous designs,  and  even  well-conceived  plans,  may 
be  rendered  abortive. 

Some  lots  of  land  within  the  range  of  settlement 
could  not  possibly  be  cultivated  by  a  single  hand, 
from  being  flooded,  rocky,  or  matted  with  cedar 
trees.  When  a  settler  reported  his  lot  to  be  of  this 
description,  he  had  another  location,  or  still  another 
and  another,  if  they  successively  proved  unfit  for 
occupation.  By-and-by  many  of  these  lots  became 
notoriously  well  known,  yet  the  agent  would,  with 
the  most  wanton  disregard  of  the  time  and  trouble 
of  applicants  for  land,  send  them,  perhaps  a  dozen, 
one  after  another,  to  look  at  the  same  wretched 
lot,  only  to  wander  for  days  in  the  wilderness  after 
disappointment.  Often,  too,  the  settlers  would 
come  from  a  distance  for  the  tools  and  other  articles 
promised  by  government,  when  the  agent,  merely 
to  indulge  his  own  caprice  and  ease,  would  send 
them  empty  away.  Again,  a  mason,  a  tailor,  or 
other  tradesman,  might  find  advantage  in  quitting 
his  farm  for  a  time,  to  work  for  others  at  his  trade ; 
that  moment  his  rations  were  withheld,  even 
though  his  farm  improvements  were  proceeding 
under  the  hands  of  a  hired  axeman,  better  qualified 
for  this  task  than  himself;  but  a  settler  might  quit 
his  own  farm- work,  and  perform  jobs  of  any  sort 
for  the  agent,  without  being  deprived  of  rations. 
Such  were  the  practices  which  went  on  for  years 


542  JOHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 

at  the  Perth  settlement,  and  which,  however 
grievous  and  well  known  to  all,  might  have  con- 
tinued to  go  on,  had  not  his  majesty's  servant 
found  higher  gratification  in  the  act  which  ren- 
dered it  necessary  for  him  to  decamp. 

It  will  be  observed,  from  the  explanatory  articles, 
that  the  grant  of  land  was  to  be  made  by  deed,  on 
the  arrival  of  the  settlers ;  but  two  years  afterwards 
this  was  not  accomplished,  and  murmurs  pre- 
vailed on  that  account.  The  settlers  told  me 
they  did  not  fear  for  themselves;  but  were  uneasy, 
because  the  rights  of  their  children  were  thus 
held  in  jeopardy ;  and  it  did,  indeed,  surprise 
myself,  upon  talking  on  the  subject  with  the  officer 
in  charge,  that  "it  was  not  meant  to  follow  out 
Campbell's  rules,"  meaning  the  terms  of  the  pub- 
lished proclamation. 

The  proclamation  provided  that  the  deposit 
money  of  settlers  was  to  be  repaid  two  years  from 
the  date  of  embarkation.  From  the  table  it  will 
be  seen,  that  the  embarkation  took  place  generally 
about  the  24th,  2?th,  and  30th  of  June,  1815.  My 
first  visit  to  the  settlement  was  on  the  1st  of  July, 
1817,  a  few  days  after  the  two  years  had  expired. 
None  of  the  deposit  was  then  paid  ;  and  as  the 
settlers,  with  few  exceptions,  had  expended,  by 
this  time,  their  last  penny,  the  need  of  cash  was 
subjecting  them  to  serious  inconveniences.  Many 
of  them  said,  if  it  had  been  punctually  paid,  their 
growing  crop  might  have  been  larger,  as,  in  that 
case,  they  could  have  purchased  a  full  proportion 
of  seed  for  their  cleared  land,  which  could  not  be 
obtained  without  the  cash  they  had  reckoned  on. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  543 

The  settlers  were  here  too  impatient,  and  had,  I 
suspect,  fallen  into  a  mistake.  They  had  calcu- 
lated from  the  appointed  time  of  embarkation 
(i.e.  in  April),  not  the  actual  time.  I  spoke  of 
this  complaint  to  the  officer,  and  a  few  weeks 
afterwards  all  was  made  good  ;  and,  indeed,  ul- 
timately, government  went  far  beyond  the  con- 
tract with  the  settlers.  By  the  proclamation,  the 
settlers  could  only  claim  rations  for  six  or  eight 
months  after  their  arrival,  but  these  were  continued 
till  August,  1817,  and  the  crop  of  that  year  being 
found  deficient,  from  the  effects  of  frost,  half 
rations  were  again  issued,  and  continued  to  the 
greater  part  till  the  harvest  of  1818.  Thus,  in 
point  of  expenditure,  government  went  far  indeed 
to  establish  this  settlement. 

It  was  an  experiment :,  as  we  may  understand  from 
the  declaration  in  the  proclamation,  that  the  en- 
couragement offered  was  "  limited  during  the 
year  :"  but  what  has  been  gained  by  the  experi- 
ment ?  or,  as  an  experiment,  under  such  manage- 
ment as  set  forth,  was  it  a  fair  one  ?  As  an  expe- 
riment, did  it  throw  out  any  light  as  to  the  conduct 
of  ©ther  schemes  of  emigration  ?  or  did  it  give  any 
encouragement  to  the  second  experiment  now  in 
operation  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  ?  an  expe- 
riment which  has  embarked  oOOO  people  to  suffer 
much  misery,  and  at  an  expense  of  £50,000  voted 
by  parliament  for  the  purpose. 

Nearly  two  months  ago,  I  learned  from  relations 
and  friends  of  those  who  had  gone  out  as  settlers 
to  the  Cape,  that  their  expectations  were  disap- 
pointed as  to  the  country,  and  within  the  last  ten 


544  JOHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 

days  the  truth  has  burst  upon  the  public  through 
the  medium  of  the  newspapers ;  witness  two  let- 
ters which  I  shall  here  copy  from  the  Morning 
Chronicle  of  the  llth  and  15th  of  September,  1820. 


From  the  Morning  Chronicle  of  Sept.  11,  1820. 

An  Emigrant's  Letter  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to 

his  respectable  Employer,  whose  Service  he  left. 

May  4,  1820. 

DEAR  SIR, 

You  told  me  true  when  you  said  I  might  as 
well  blow  out  my  brains  as  come  upon  this  expedition. 
Indeed  I  have  totally  ruined  myself.  Government  is  not  to 
blame:  they  have  done  every  thing  for  us  that  we  can  pos- 
sibly expect.  But  the  man  who  conducted  us  out  grossly 
deceived  us  in  London  respecting  the  place;  and  he  has 
now  got  4000  acres  of  land  for  bringing  us  to  this  cursed 
place,  where  he  has  left  us  altogether  to  shift  for  ourselves. 
We  were  nearly  five  months  on  board,  during  which  time 
many  quarrels  took  place,  and  the  people  or  ship's  crew 
robbed  the  trunks  and  boxes :  my  boxes  were  robbed  of 
many  things.  Our  leader  never  troubled  himself  about  it, 
or  any  thing  ;  and  the  result  was  that  many  respectable 
families  left  us  the  moment  we  landed.  On  the  17th  March, 
when  we  got  into  Table  Bay,  not  one  of  us  was  suffered  to 
land,  except  our  leader,  who  gave  us  all  an  infamous  cha- 
racter ;  and  we  were  immediately  ordered  away  to  Algoa 
Bay,  and  there  landed  and  sent  150  miles  in  waggons  to  the 
banks  of  the  Great  Fish  River,  where  after  measuring  one 
acre  of  land  for  each  person  to  build  his  house  on,  they  shot 
us  down  like  as  much  rubbish.  The  horror  I  then  felt  1  can- 
not describe  ;  I  felt  I  had  used  you  ill ;  and  for  what  ?  a  bubble. 

I  am  trying  to  get  back  to  Cape  Town  if  possible,  but 
have  but  little  hope  of  success.  Lord  Charles  Somerset  is 
in  London,  I  understand,  or  I  should  petition  him  to  give  me 
a  passage  home. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORTS.  54$ 

Although  I  have  no  hope  of  ever  seeing  you  again,  yet 
could  I  ever  return,  and  you  would  receive  me,  I  never 
would  leave  you.  Your's  ever, 

(Signed)    BARTHOLOMEW  GUNNING. 

P.  S.  We  have  not  to  blame  government,  either  here  or 
at  home.  They  have  done  every  thing  that  was  promised  ; 
but  we  have  deceived  ourselves. 

ANOTHER  LETTER. 
Morning  Chronicle,  Sept.  15,  1820. 

Graham's  Town,  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  May  27,  1820. 

DEAR  FRIENDS,— With  grief  of  heart  I  write.  I  sent 
home  my  account  of  our  passage.  We  landed  safe  at  Algoa 
Bay  on  the  28th  March,  and  went  into  camp  for  a  few  days ; 
then  went  on  our  journey  to  Graham's  Town.  During  our 
journey,  my  wife  was  taken  ill  with  the  badness  of  the  road, 
as  it  is  beyond  all  description:  it  is  over  mountains  and 
rocks  almost  impassable:  sometimes  we  went  down  holes 
four  feet  deep,  enough  to  shake  the  strongest  constitution  to 
pieces.  After  we  got  to  Graham's  Town,  I  went  to  get 
some  wine  for  my  wife ;  but  the  inhabitants  durst  not  sell 
any  to  the  settlers.  Somerset,  the  commandant,  very  kindly 
gave  me  one  bottle  of  Port  wine  for  my  wife,  as  she  wa» 
very  ill,  which  was  a  great  nourishment  to  her.  After 
leaving  Graham's  Town  we  found  the  road  worse ;  and  after 
ascending  a  very  lofty  mountain  my  wife  looked  down :  she 
seeing  the  road  still  rugged  and  full  of  stones,  it  turned  her 
blood,  and  instead  of  getting  better,  she  got  worse,  and  con- 
tinued so  till  we  got  down  to  our  unfortunate  and  miserable 
destination,  which  we  reached  on  the  ninth  of  May.  (Death 
of  his  wife,  &c.  detailed.) 

Here  there  is  nothing  but  rocks  and  barren  sands,  sur- 
rounded on  one  side  by  Gaffers,  and  on  the  other  by  wild 
beasts.  You  will  all  curse  me  for  coming  :  pray  do  not. 
N  N 


546  JCTHNSTOWN    DISTRICT. 

Oh  !  had  I  taken  the  advice  of  my  departed  wife,  and  that 
of  our  friends,  previous  to  emigration,  then  I  should  never 
have  seen  this  place.  There  is  not  one  out  of  one  hundred 
but  laments  their  folly,  and  wish  themselves  in  England  again, 
with  all  its  badness ;  and  we  trust  that  the  Almighty  will 
pour  down  his  vengeance  on  those  who  induced  us  with  fair 
promises  to  thus  emigrate. 

When  I  landed  at  Algoa  Bay,  I  had  not  one  single 
shilling,  having  been  obliged  to  spend  every  farthing  on  my 
passage,  for  the  support  of  my  family.  Pray  advise  all  our 
acquaintances,  who  waited  to  hear  my  opinion  of  this  part  of 
the  world,  to  remain  at  home. 
lOjt  Your  unfortunate  Brother, 

R.  H. 


WHAT  a  contrast  do  these  letters  afford  to  the 
"•well  satisfied?9--"  well  satisfied" —"  well  satisfied" 
of  my  statistical  table !  and  what  now  is  the 
Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  to  say  to  proposals 
for  emigration  to  our  North  American  colonies? 
Lord  Archibald  Hamilton,  on  the  28th  April,  sug- 
gested "  an  emigration  to  our  colonies  in  North 
America  as  the  most  effectual  means  of  mitigating 
distress.9'  The  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  re- 
plied, that  "  before  such  a  proposition  was  enter- 
tained, it  would  be  wise  to  wait  for  some  account  of 
the  colony  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.'*  We  have 
now  waited, — we  have  now  the  accounts,  and  what 
is  to  be  said?  Shall  a  third  experiment  be  made 
without  due  consideration,  without  consulting 
principles  and  facts  essential  to  be  known,  before 
any  experiment  of  the  kind  can  have  even  a  chance 
of  success  ?  The  subject  of  emigration  is  of  the 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  547 

highest  importance  to  be  rightly  understood,  and, 
at  this  time,  when  millions  of  people  are  starving 
in  the  midst  of  plenty,  for  want  of  employment,  or 
throwing  themselves  for  relief  on  parish  funds,  de- 
mands the  most  deep  and  solemn  attention. 

Was  it  not  clear  that  at  the  end  of  the  war  we 
should  have  an  overflow  of  people  ?  Was  it  not 
clear  to  every  one  versed  in  the  history  of  English 
poor  laws  that  we  should  continue  to  have  a  re- 
dundant population,  even  for  years  after  any  plan- 
could  be  made  effectual,  to  correct  the  increasing 
evils  of  these  laws,  and  independent  of  every  other 
consideration. 

Good  heavens  !  shall  we  be  driven  by  conviction 
itself  to  the  alternative  of  deciding,  either  that  a 
British  minister  has  no  understanding,  or  no  heart? 
Surely  it  can  serve  me  in  nothing  to  be  severe  or 
uncharitable;  but,  knowing  as  I  do,  that  Canada  has 
store  for  the  maintenance  of  ten  millions  of  people  ; 
knowing  that  50,000  could  be  annually  transported 
thither,  with  comfort  to  the  individuals,  and  profit 
to  the  nation  ;  having,  for  more  than  three  years, 
devoted  my  whole  reflection  to  the  subject ;  having 
offered  myself  to  the  Canadian  parliament,  and  to 
the  British  parliament,  with  a  view  to  make  good 
this  truth  ;  having  been  persecuted,  nay,  as  to 
worldly  circumstances,  ruined  in  following  up  my 
purpose  of  inquiry  as  to  it;  and,  at  the  present 
time,  struggling  with  impaired  health  to  lay  before 
the  British  public  this  volume  of  facts,  by  which 
common  sense,  humanity,  self-interest,  and  duty, 
may  be  invited  to  give  their  aid,  can  I  bridle  in 

N  N  2 


548  JOHNSTOWN  DISTRICT. 

expressions  of  feeling  and  be  held  guiltless,  when 
cold-blooded  dalliance  openly  insults  a  cause  so 
pressing,  so  imposing,  and  great  ? 

The  veriest  child  that  has  the  rudiments  ot 
geography,  the  most  simple  clown  that  can  read  a 
page,  may  know  that  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  can- 
not be  compared  with  our  North  American  colo- 
nies, as  a  place  for  the  comfortable  settlement  of 
poor  emigrants : — the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  more 
than  twice  the  distance  from  home,  and  to 
which  the  cost  of  conveyance  is  five  times  as 
much  as  that  to  Canada !  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
savage  with  rocks,  sterile  with  sands,  infested 
with  CafTers,  and  filthy  with  Hottentots!  — 
How  can  such  a  frightful  waste  be  compared  for 
a  single  moment  with  Upper  Canada,  the  most  de- 
lightful region  upon  earth  ; — where  winter's  cold 
tempers  only  to  manhood,  and  summer's  heat 
warms  only  to  love;  where  nature  exhibits  her 
finest  specimens  of  the  sublime  and  beautiful  ; 
where  she  calls  only  for  the  touch  of  industry  to 
satisfy  every  want  and  desire*.  Good  God  !  for- 


*  I  must  caution  the  reader  against  thinking,  that,  by  using 
lofty  language,  I  am  losing  myself  in  the  clouds.  I  use  it  for  the 
express  purpose  of  arresting  attention,  not  only  to  the  vast  superi- 
ority of  Upper  Canada  over  every  other  country  to  which  the  Bri- 
tish government  can  send  emigrants  ;  but  to  the  monstrous  delu<- 
sion  of  comparing  it  with  the  Cape,  New  Holland,  and  Van- 
Diemen's  Land,  in  this  respect.  Whenever  Canada  is  spoken  of 
in  England,  an  objection  is  instantly  started  to  the  climate.  This 
error  has  been  riveted  by  the  reports  of  merchants,  who  seldom 
have  drawn  their  experience  but  from  a  residence  at  Quebec  and 

2 


TOWNSHIP  REPORTS.  549 

give  me  for  one  more  exclamation  before  I  again 
return  to  the  drudgery  of  statistical  detail  and  proof. 
The  government  of  Canada  remonstrates  against 
the  sending  thither  emigrants,  because  "  the  country 
is  already  overloaded"!!!  Twenty  millions  of 
most  fertile  acres  overloaded  with  a  population  of 
100,000,  and  an  annual  addition  of  10,000!!* 
Gracious  Being!  pardon  contempt  and  indignation 
at  such  a  monstrous  and  unblushing  declare  ion, — 
such  a  glaring  manifestation  of  delusion  and  mis- 
management. 

Soldiers  discharged  in  Canada  formed  at  first 
the  great  mass  of  settlers  in  the  newly  surveyed 
townships  of  Drurnmond,  Beckwith,  Bathurst,  and 
(jouldbourne.  When  1  paid  my  first  visit  to  Perth, 
in  1817,  I  was  told  that  nearly  1000  were  then 
located.  Some  of  them  were  doing  well,  but  many 


Montreal,  where  the  climate  is  no  doubt  disagreeably  severe  in 
winter.  It  is  quite  otherwise  in  Upper  Canada,  where,  in  fact,  the 
winter  is  the  most  delightful  season,  and  where,  throughout  the 
whole  year,  the  air  is  so  dry,  balmy,  and  elastic,  as  not  only  to 
contribute  to  health,  but  greatly  to  lighten  and  stimulate  the  ani- 
mal spirits  ;  indeed,  where  solitude,  ignorance,  and  poverty,  have 
not  degraded  the  inhabitants,  the  effects  are  very  visible  in  their 
conversation  and  manners :  well  circumstanced  as  to  worldly 
affairs,  and  independent  of  ministerial  influence,  they  are  brave, 
lively,  and  generous-hearted. 

*  The  emigrants  who  arrived  at  Quebec  in  1819,  amounted  in 
number  to  12,500;  but  more  than  f  of  them,  it  was  said, 
went  into  the  United  States.  Mr.  Buchanan,  our  American 
consul,  directed  about  2,000  British  subjects,  the  same  year,  from 
the  States  into  Canada ;  and  to  allow  that  1750  emigrated  from 
the  States  into  Canada  otherwise,  is  allowing  a  great  deal.  This 
would  make  up,  in  all,  the  sum  of  10,000  above  spoken  of. 


550  JOHNSTOWN  DISTRICT. 

were  very  unpromising  as  settlers  ;  and  did  indeed 
remain  only  till  the  term  of  receiving  rations  ex- 
pired, or  till  they  acquired  a  right  to  sell  the  land 
given  them.  This  has  been  the  uniform  issue  of 
military  settlements  from  first  to  last  in  Canada, 
and  in  some  degree  also  in  the  United  States  of 
America.  Soldiers,  in  general,  choose  their  trade 
only  to  indulge  in  idleness, and  give  reins  to  a  roving 
disposition  ;  and,  after  having  spent  20  or  30  years 
in  the  profession  of  gentlemen,  cannot  easily  train 
into  the  habits  of  sober  and  persevering  industry. 
At  the  first  settlement  of  Upper  Canada,  it  was 
not  uncommon  for  soldiers  to  sell  their  200  acre 
lots  of  land  for  a  bottle  of  rum.  Now-a-days,  only 
100  is  granted,  and  settlers  are  prohibited  from  sell- 
ing till  after  three  years'  residence,  and  the  perform- 
ance of  certain  easy  duties.  Still,  I  have  been  told 
since  coming  home,  by  an  half-pay  officer  of  the 
Perth  settlement,  that  scarcely  one  soldier  out  of 
fifty  now  remains  there  for  good. 

The  deserted   lots  have  been  for  the  most  part 
filled  up  with  emigrants  from  Britain  and  Ireland. 

Rideau  and  Ganannoque  rivers,  with  their  many 
lakes,  profusely  water  the  northern  and  western 
parts  of  the  Johnstown  district;  nor  would  the  ex- 
pence  be  great,  to  render  these  useful  as  water  com- 
munications. Little  else  would  be  wanted  for  this 
than  dams  and  locks.  The  proposal  mentioned  in 
the  Appendix  to  the  Sketches,  of  communicating  by 
water  from  Kingston  to  Ottawa  river  is  quite  prac- 
ticable, It  was  keenly  entertained  by  the  military 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  551 

after  the  war.  Plans  and  specifications  were  drawn 
out,  and  advertisements  appeared  for  months  to- 
gether in  the  Upper  Canada  newspapers  for  esti- 
mates ;  but  who  was  to  go  to  the  expence  of  sur- 
veying and  estimating,  while  it  did  not  appear  that 
money  was  provided  to  defray  the  cost  ? — So  the 
whim  flagged. 

The  military  idea  was  solely  bent  towards  the 
defence  of  the  province  during  war,  and  no  doubt 
a  water  communication  this  way  might  prove  use- 
ful on  such  an  occasion  ;  but  I  must  not  lose  an 
opportunity  of  stating  my  most  serious  opinion, 
that  the  maintenance  of  Upper  Canada,  as  a  British 
province,  should  have  small  rest  upon  any  scheme 
so  puny  as  this.  The  navigation  now  spoken  of 
would  be  of  great  service  to  the  country  for  agri- 
cultural and  commercial  purposes ;  and  for  these 
it  should  be  kept  in  view,  independent  of  the  ad- 
vantages to  be  derived  from  it  during  war. 

Two  courses  were  thought  of:  one  by  Ri- 
deau  lake,  another  more  southerly,  through  Kitley, 
by  Irish  creek  :  on  both,  there  must  remain  a  port- 
age, without  going  to  great  expence.  That  on  the 
Rideau  lake  course  is  in  Crosby,  and  only  about  half 
a  mile  over.  This  course  is  every  way  the  best. 
From  its  portage  the  navigation  is  practicable 
either  to  Kingston  by  its  river,  or  to  the  river  St. 
Lawrence  by  Ganannoque.  At  Hoskin's  mills,  in 
Crosby,  the  waters  gathered  in  that  township,  may 
be  made  to  flow  to  Kingston,  if  required,  by  means 
of  a  dam. 

From  the  St.  Lawrence,  at  Ganannoque  river,  to 


552  JOtttfStOWN   DISTRICT. 

Stone  Mills,  which  is  the  highest  seat,  the  ascent 
is  as  follows : 

Feet.  In. 
First  rapid  from  the  St.  Lawrence, 

on  which  is  situated  Ganannoque 

Mills  'Vi?.^-.^1?"?1  i  •  .  .  15  0 
Four  rapids  above  the  Mills  ...  73 
Marble  fall  and  dam,  44  miles  from 

the  St.  Lawrence  i;^,^ocl5V^Tl  V1*1.  6  0 
Furnace  fall,  14  miles  direct  from  the 

St.  Lawrence,  and  30  by  water     .     Id     0 


42     3 

The  descent  from  Stone  Mills  to  Kingston  would 
of  course  be  a  foot  or  two  less  than  the  above ; 
and  by  six  locks,  either  way,  the  portage  could  be 
reached.  Rideau  Lake  affords  good  navigation  for 
nearly  thirty  miles,  through  Crosby,  Burgess,  and 
Elmsley ;  and  the  river  Rideau  presents  frequent 
reaches  of  smooth,  expanded,  and  navigable  water, 
which  with  locks  and  dams  would  readily  form  a 
connected  route. 


In  speaking  of  the  Home  District  I  could  not 
pass  over  the  first  traducer  of  my  very  innocent 
statistical  inquiries  ;  and  no  language  but  what  was 
expressive  of  extreme  contempt  could  fitly  intro- 
duce the  man.  From  his  first  onset  I  was  aware 
of  his  venom,  and  for  months  was  gathering  more 
and  more  experience  of  his  enmity  before  I  judged 
it  necessary  to  put  him  down  with  exposure  and 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  553 

raillery.  One  of  his  pupils,  and  a  fellow  priest, 
who  held  a  church  living  in  Johnstown  District, 
with  a  silliness  which  outmatched  the  master's 
cunning,  broke  forth  in  a  manner  best  calculated  to 
open  the  eyes  of  the  public  to  the  busy  workings 
of  priestly  intolerance.  He  published  in  the  King- 
ston newspaper  an  article  attested  with  his  signa- 
ture, of  Which  the  following  extract  is  a  part, 
which  can  be  completely  judged  of  by  the  reader 
of  this  volume.  "  At  a  meeting  of  a  committee 
chosen  by  the  annual  town-meeting  of  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  township  of  Augusta,  in  the  Johns- 
town District  of  Upper  Canada,  to  answer  certain 
queries  proposed  to  them  in  an  address  published 
by  one  Robert  Gourlay,  and  dated  at  Queenston, 
October,  1817,  it  is  unanimously  resolved, — that  it 
is  the  opinion  of  this  meeting  that  Mr.  Gonrtay's 
address  contains  PRINCIPLES  INIMICAL  TO  THE 

PEACE  AND  QUIET  WHICH  THnE  INHABITANTS 
OF  THIS  PROVINCE  SO  HAPPILY  ENJOY/'  If 

the  reader  will  have  patience  to  pause,  and  re- 
flect on  this  production  of  an  established  clergy- 
man, re-peruse  my  address  alluded  to,  and  glance 
back  upon  the  Township  Reports,  to  which  it  gave 
rise,  and  which  all  but  or*e  are  already  produced,  I 
cannot  help  thinking  that  his  time  and  attention 
will-be  well  bestowed. 

It  is  not  for  my  own  justification,  or  the  dis- 
grace of  the  poor  creatures  who  opposed  them- 
selves to  me,  that  I  would  earnestly  beg  attention. 
I  conceal  the  names  of  the  two  parsons,  that  the 
study  may  be  purely  abstract ;  and  I  bid  the  reader 


554  JOHNSTOWN   DISTRICT. 

determine  as  to  the  spirit  and  mental  faculties  of 
the  unknown  who  could  subscribe  such  a  docu- 
ment as  the  above,  which,  besides  the  visible 
absurdity,  contains  a  gross  and  audacious  false- 
hood ;  for,  on  investigation,  it  was  discovered  that 
the  inhabitants  of  Augusta  chose  no  such  com- 
mittee as  that  spoken  of,  and  which  was  created  by 
the  priest  merely  to  give  weight  and  effect  to  his 
own  personal  opposition. 

What  principles  my  address  contained  which 
could  seem,  even  to  the  most  jaundiced  imagina- 
tion, "  inimical  to  the  peace  and  quiet  of  Upper 
Canada"  I  never  was  able  to  discover;  and  cer- 
tainly the  numerous  subscribers  to  the  Township 
Reports  seem  to  have  discovered  nothing  of  the 
kind:  in  short,  could  there  possibly  be  any  thing 
more  harmless  than  the  address,  or  the  publication 
in  England  of  these  Reports?  What,  then,  in  the 
name  of  wonder,  could  stir  up  opposition  to  my 
proposals? — opposition  altogether  unprovoked  by 
me,  for  I  never  had  so  much  as  a  conversation  with 
the  men  in  question — never  mentioned  the  name 
of  the  first  in  public  till  more  than  two  months 
after  his  rancour  was  notorious,  nor  ever  even 
heard  of  the  name  of  the  second  till  I  saw  it  dis- 
played in  the  Kingston  newspaper.  Here,  how- 
ever, is  the  surmise :  I  believe  the  plan  hit  upon, 
of  giving  the  people  of  Upper  Canada  an  oppor- 
tunity of  declaring  their  opinions  as  to  what  re- 
tarded the  improvement  of  the  province,  had 
alarmed  the  parsons.  They  could  not  but  know 
how  much  the  clergy  reserves  were  exclaimed 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  555 

against;  and  they  naturally  dreaded  that  if  this 
were  known  to  the  people  and  Government  at 
home,  they,  the  established  clergy,  might  no  longer 
be  allowed  to  remain  masters  and  foul  feeders  on 
such  a  vast  extent  of  landed  property,  a  question 
with  regard  to  which,  had,  for  the  first  time,  been 
agitated  in  parliament  immediately  before  my  arrival 
in  the  province. 

Till  the  little  dominie  of  Little  York  was  unduly 
raised  to  power  and  dignity,  there  were  but  four  or 
five  episcopal  clergy  in  the  province,  quiet,  unpre- 
suming,  and  inoffensive  men,  who  had  never,  I 
believe,  entertained  a  thought,  political,  as  to  the 
extravagant  provision  which  had  been  made  by 
government  for  the  maintenance  of  the  established 
church.  The  aspiring  dominie,  quickened  with 
extraordinary  elevation,  had  fixed  his  eyes  at  once 
on  the  mighty  idea  that  episcopacy  should  remain 
the  sole  and  legitimate  holder  of  the  clergy  reserves ; 
and  for  these,  I  ween,  had  he,  and  his  brother  of 
Augusta,  born  presbyterians,  found  it  convenient 
to  exchange  the  cloak  of  Calvin  for  the  party- 
coloured  robes  of  their  adopted  order  ;  nay,  I  have 
been  told  that  the  former  looks  to  being  bishop  of 
the  province. 

Here,  here,  then,  is  the  secret  disclosed ;  and 
the  discovery  invites  us  to  further  investigation. 

The  statute  of  Geo.  III.  chap.  31,  which  gives 
to  Upper  Canada  its  constitution,  and  declares 
the  limits  of  the  same,  provides,  by  clauses  36 
and  37,  for  making  "  allotments  of  lands  for  the 
support  of  a  Protestant  clergy;"  and  that  "  the 


666  JOHNSTOWN  DISTRICT. 

rents  arising  from  suck  allotments  be  applied  to  that 
purpose  solely."  By  clause  38,  it  provides,  that 
"  the  governor,  with  the  advice  of  the  executive  coun- 
cil, may  erect  parsonages ,  or  rectories,  according  to 
the  establishment  of  the  Church  of  England,  and 
endow  them  with  part  of  the  lands  allotted"  as 
above.  By  clause  39,  it  is  "  made  lawful  for  his 
Majesty  to  authorize  the  governor,  fyc.  to  present  to 
every  such  parsonage,  or  rectory,  an  incumbent,  or 
minister  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  to  supply 
vacancies.33  By  clause  40,  "  presentations  to  par- 
sonages,  and  the  enjoyment  of  them,  is  made  sub- 
ject to  rights  of  institution,  and  all  other  spiritual 
and  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  and  authority,  which 
have  been  lawfully  granted  to  the  BisJwp  of  Nova 
Scotia,  or  which  may,  hereafter,  be  lawfully  granted 
to  be  administered  and  executed  within  the  province 
of  Upper  Canada,  fyc.  by  the  Bishop  of  Nova  Scotia, 
or  by  other  person  or  persons,  according  to  the  laws 
and  canons  of  the  Church  of  England."  Clause  41, 
admits  that  "  provisions  respecting  the  allotment  of 
lands  for  the  support  of  a  Protestant  clergy,  the 
constituting,  erecting,  and  endowing  parsonages,  or 
rectories,  and  also  respecting  the  presentation  of 
incumbents,  and  the  manner  in  which  such  shall  hold 
emd  enjoy  their  allotments,  shall  be  subject  to  be 
varied  w  repealed  by  the  legislative  council  and 
assembly,  with  the  consent  of  his  Majesty."  But 
clause  42,  provides,  that  "  any  act  of  the  legislative 
council  and  assembly,  regarding  any  of  the  bef ore- 
mentioned  questions,  shall,  before  receiving  the  assent 
of  Ms  Majesty,  be  laid  before  both  houses  ofparliament 


TOWNSHIP   REPORTS.  557 

in  Great  Britain,  and  that  it  shall  not  be  lawful  for 
his  Majesty  to  signify  his  assent  to  such  act  until  30 
days  after  such  act  shall  have  been  laid  before 
the  said  houses,  or  to  assent  to  such  act  in  case  either 
house  of  parliament  shall,  within  the  said  30  days, 
address  his  Majesty  to  withhold  his  assent;  and  that 
no  such  act  shall  be  valid  within  the  province,  unless 
the  legislative  council  and  assembly  of  the  province 
shall,  in  the  session  in  which  the  same  shall  have 
been  passed  by  them,  have  presented  to  the  governor, 
Sfc.  an  address,  specifying  that  such  act  contains  pro- 
visions for  some  of  the  said  purposes,  and  desiring 
that,  in  order  to  give  effect  to  the  same,  such  act  should 
be  transmitted  to  England  without  delay,  for  the 
purpose  of  being  laid  before  parliament  previous  to 
the  signification  of  his  Majesty's  assent  tkerGte.^ 
Such  are  the  heads  of  articles  in  the  constituting 
act  which  go  to  establish  a  dominant  sect  of  re- 
ligionists in  Upper  Canada; — articles,  in  the  fram- 
ing of  which,  I  cannot  think  a  single  consideration 
was  given  to  the  times — the  place — the  people,  to 
which  they  were  to  apply,  and,  which  every  man 
of  intelligence  and  reflection  will  allow,  would  be 
changed  by  the  British  parliament,  as  soon  as  the 
legislators  of  Upper  Canada  submit  the  ques- 
tion. There  is  not  one  out  of  twenty  of  the 
people  of  Upper  Canada  who  range  on  the  side  of 
episcopacy,  and  not  one  in  a  hundred  who  would 
not  wish  to  see  the  clergy  reserves  put  to  the  ham- 
mer; nay,  look  to  the  explanation  of  the  procla- 
mation for  emigrants  (page  538),  and  the  liberal 
spirit  of  modern  times,  as  to  religious  sects,  will  be 
manifest.  Article  28  declares,  that  "  his  Majesty's 


558  JOHNSTOWN   DISTRICT. 

government  are  to  extend  the  bounty  for  clergymen, 
pastors,  and  schoolmaster s9  WITHOUT  ANY  DIS- 
TINCTION OF  REI/IGIOUS  SECT."  To  be  sure; 
it  is  common  sense  that  they  should,  as  long  as 
bounties  are  given  for  preaching,  even  from  Roman 
Catholics  to  Nothingarians. 

What  a  contrast  does  the  monstrous  silliness 
and  illiberality  of  the  established  priest  of  Augusta 
(now  of  Montreal)  make  with  the  lively,  disinte- 
rested zeal  and  benevolence  of  the  missionary  of 
Elizabeth-town !  Mr.  Smart  owns  no  land  in 
Upper  Canada,  and  has  no  selfish  interest  in  ex- 
tolling it,  to  attract  emigrants  for  the  purpose  of 
bettering  his  fortune:  his  heart  has  no  yearnings 
after  clergy  reserves,  and  no  unworthy  jealousy 
holds  him  in  alarm.  He  has  witnessed  the  hard 
condition  of  his  poor  countrymen  in  Britain,  toiling 
on  sterile  land  to  procure  luxuries  for  wealthy 
lords;  and  he  sees  spread  out  before  him  in 
Canada  an  unbounded  extent  of  the  most  fertile 
soil,  which  might  afford  plenty  to  millions.  He 
feels  for  the  poor,  and  exerts  himself  solely  for 
them.  Here  we  see  the  difference  between  a  true 
minister  of  Christ,  and  a  busy,  jealous,  and  intole- 
rant guardian  of  unrighteous  Mammon.  I  did  not 
fail  to  accept  the  invitation  of  the  reverend  mis- 
sionary; indeed,  I  went  out  of  my  way  to  sym- 
pathize with  a  spirit  so  pure  ;  and  after  an  evening's 
pleasant  chat,  as  to  our  native  country,  and  the 
blessings  which  might  spring  out  of  a  well-regulated 
system  of  emigration,  went  to  rest  with  the  special 
benediction  of  the  good  man,  who  collected  his 
household  at  the  accustomed  hour,  and  closed  our 
communing,  by  communing  with  God. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORT.  559 


EASTERN  DISTRICT. 


1st.  CHARLOTTENBURGH  is  the  second  town- 
ship in  the  province  of  Upper  Canada:  bounded 
in  front  by  the  river  St.  Lawrence;  on  the  east  by 
the  township  of  Lancaster;  north  by  the  township 
of  Kenyon  ;  and  west  by  the  township  of  Cornwall. 
It  is  12  miles  square,  including  a  strip  of  Indian 
reservation  on  the  west  side. 

2d.  The  first  settlement  was  commenced  in  the 
year  1781,  by  a  part  of  the  Royal  Yorkers  (prin- 
cipally Scotchmen).  The  population  is  2,500, 
exclusive  of  a  great  number  of  emigrants  from 
Great  Britain  since  the  month  of  June  last.  The 
number  of  inhabited  houses  is  about  500. 

3d.  The  churches  and  meeting  houses  are  one 
church,  and  three  meeting  houses  of  the  church  of 
Scotland  ;  one  church  (now  building),  and  one 
meeting  house  of  the  church  of  Rome.  Both 
churches  are  of  stone.  The  clergy  are,  one  minister 
of  the  church  of  Scotland,  and  two  priests  of  the 
church  of  Rome. 

4th.  Two  medical  practitioners. 

5th.  Schools  12:  average  fees  per  quarter  to 
each  schoolmaster,  151. 

6th.  Stores,  12. 

7th.  Taverns,  18. 

8th.  Mills:  four  grist  mills,  with  two  additional 
pairs  of  stones,  one  of  which  additional  pairs  is  for 
hulling  barley  and  oats :  rate  of  grinding  A :  saw 


560  EASTERN    DISTRICT. 

mills,  six  :  rate  of  sawing,  one  half:  carding  mills, 
one:  rate  of  carding,  6d<  per Ib. 

9th.  The  soil  generally  is  a  black  deep  loam, 
generally  level,  with  some  swamps. 

10th.  The  kinds  of  timber  are  pine,  oak,  maple, 
beech,  elm,  basswood,  cedar,  fir,  hemlock,  ash, 
butternut,  walnut,  &c. 

llth.  No  minerals  yet  discovered,  but  some  ap- 
pearances in  different  places.  Limestone  in  great 
abundance  throughout  the  township :  no  remark- 
able springs  yet  discovered. 

12th.  Building  stones  to  be  had  throughout  the 
township  :  no  price  is  paid  for  them,  so  that  the 
expence  in  getting  stone  is  no  other  than  digging, 
carting,  &c.  to  the  building  ground:  quality,  lime 
and  grey  sand. 

13th.  Bricks ;  average  price,  11,  10s.  per  1000. 

14th.  Lime,  from  6d.  to  9d.  per  bushel. 

15th.  Wages  of  mechanics  per  day,  being  found 
by  the  employer,  viz.  blacksmiths,  from  7s.  6d. 
to  8s.  9d. ;  masons,  from  7s.  6d.  to  10s.  ;  carpen- 
ters, from  5s.  to  10s.  Rate  of  their  piecework: 
blacksmith  (finding  himself)  for  making  plough 
irons,  chains,  &c.  from  Is.  to  3.3.  3d.  per  Ib.  : 
masons,  for  building  six  feet  square,  10s.,  and  3s. 
for  each  foot  in  height,  of  a  single  chimney  in  a 
wood  or  frame  house.  Carpenters,  for  flooring 
10  feet  square,  10s.,  and  2s.  for  each  pannel  in  a 
framed  door :  4d.  per  light  for  making  window 
sashes. 

16th.  The  wages  of  labourers  per  annum  is  from 
251.  to  361.:  per  winter  month,  from  35s.  to  60s. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORT.  561 

per  summer  month,  from  50s.  to  80s,:  per  day  in 
harvest,  from  3s.  to  5s. :  for  women  servants,  per 
week,  for  housework,  .5s. ;  and  for  spinning,  from 
5s.  to  7s.  6d.  per  week,  being  found. 

17th.  Mowers'  wages:  for  mowing  grass,  per 
day,  5s. :  for  cradling,  from  7s.  6d.  to  10s.  per  day  : 
the  kinds  of  grain  generally  cradled,  are  wheat, 
oats,  rye,  and  barley. 

18th.  For  clearing  and  fencing  five  acres  of  wood 
land  (that  is  to  say,  cutting,  logging,  burning,  and 
fencing),  ready  for  seed,  201. 

19th.  The  price  of  a  good  work-horse,  four  years 
old,  is  from  101.  to  151. :  of  a  good  milch  cow, 
41.  10s.  to  61. :  of  a  good  ox,  at  four  years  old,  101.: 
of  a  good  sheep,  from  15s.  to  17s.  6d. 

20th.  The  average  quantity  of  wool  yielded  by 
sheep,  is  from  5lbs.  to  61bs. :  price  thereof,  from  Is. 
8d.  to  2s.  per  Ib. 

21st.  The  ordinary  time  of  turning  out  beasts  to 
pasture  is  about  the  25th  April :  of  taking  them 
home  to  the  yard,  or  stable,  about  the  15th  Nov. 

22d.  The  ordinary  endurance  of  the  sleighing 
season  is  from  the  15th  December  to  the  1st  April ; 
and  that  of  ploughing,  from  the  15th  April  to  the 
15th  November. 

23d.  The  ordinary  season  for  sowing  fall-wheat 
is  from  the  1st  September  to  the  15th  November: 
of  reaping  the  same  about  the  1st  of  August : 
sowing  spring-wheat,  from  the  15th  April  to  the 
10th  May  ;  and  of  reaping  the  same,  about  the  15th 
August. 

24th.  The  necessary  quantity  of  seed  is  about 
o  o 


562  EASTERN    DISTRICT. 

one  bushel  of  wheat  to  an  acre  on  new  lands,  and 
little  less  than  one  bushel  and  a  half  to  an  acre  of 
old  land  :  the  average  crop  per  acre  is  from   1 6  to 
20  bushels. 

25th.  The  quality  of  the  pastures  is  generally 
good,  being  seeded  with  timothy,  red  and  white  clo- 
ver. An  ox,  of  four  years  old,  will  gain,  in  the 
course  of  a  season,  in  pasture,  about  -j  more.  As 
respects  milk,  and  the  quantity  of  dairy  produce,  it 
will  average  from  four  to  six  Ibs.  per  week  for  each 
cow ;  the  price  of  butter  is  from  Is.  to  Is.  3d.  per 
Ib. ;  and  cheese,  from  5d.  to  8d.  per  Ib. 

26th.  The  ordinary  course  of  cropping  new  land : 
wheat  is  generally  the  first  crop  sown  in  dry  land, 
and  oats  in  low  land,  seeded  also  with  timothy,  and 
will  yield  four  to  five  crops  of  hay  before  it  requires 
to  be  let  out  to  pasture :  after  pasturing  a  few 
years,  it  is  then  ploughed  up,  and  will  answer 
either  for  fall  or  spring  wheat,  and  will  yield  three 
crops,  and  then  requires  manuring,  or  letting  to  pas- 
ture. Manure  is  necessary  to  produce  a  crop  of 
potatoes,  or  Indian  corn,  except  in  new  land,  or 
the  first  crop  after  pasturing.  Manure  is  frequent- 
ly used  for  a  crop  of  wheat  also,  in  more  sandy  soil. 

27th.  Lands  let  out  on  shares,  team,  utensils, 
and  seed  being  furnished,  one-half  the  produce  ; 
and  nothing  being  furnished,  one-third  to  the 
landlord. 

28th.  The  price  of  wild  land  for  the  first  period, 
say  six  years  of  the  settlement,  was  from  Is.  to  ,5s. 
per  acre ;  and  at  present,  is  from  20s.  to  30s.  per 
acre.  A  lot  of  200  acres,  with  30  acres  clear, 


TOWNSHIP   REPORT.  563 

under  good  cultivation,   with  a  framed  house  and 
barn^  with  shade,  &c.  is  worth  from  5001.  to  6001. 

29th.  The  lands  now  for  sale  are  a  number  of 
valuable  tracts  in  the  front  of  the  township  along 
the  river  St.  Lawrence,  and  a  number  of  lots  in  the 
different  concessions,  amounting  to  several  thousand 
acres,  together  with  a  number  of  crown  and  clergy 
reservations,  which  are  leased  to  settlers  at  a  mode- 
rate  rent. 

30th.  The  state  of  the  public  highways  is  greatly 
advanced  within  a  few  years  past,  and  can  be  im- 
proved at  a  moderate  expence,  the  ground  being 
generally  suitable  for  roads  throughout  the  town- 
ship. There  are  two  main  roads  through  this  town- 
ship, leading  to  the  province  of  Lower  Canada ; 
one  in  the  front,  and  the  other  near  the  centre  of 
the  township,  and  both  are  sufficiently  good  for  any 
carriage  whatever.  The  water  conveyance  is  on 
the  river  Aux  Raisins,  navigable  for  boats  about 
five  miles  from  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  could  easily 
be  continued  to  the  adjoining  township  of  Corn- 
wall, by  building  locks  at  the  different  rapids  on 
said  river. 

31st.  Not  having  the  front  main  road  completed 
through  the  first  township  in  the  province,  called 
Lancaster,  is  a  great  bar  against  the  improvement 
of  this  township  :  the  road  is  already  so  as  to  allow 
the  mail  stage  to  run  within  three  miles  of  the  pro- 
vince line  :  there  are  also  five  miles  of  the  province 
of  Lower  Canada  without  a  road  to  join  this  main 
road,  which  makes  eight  miles  in  all  to  complete 
the  land  conveyance  between  the  two  provinces  on 

o  o  2 


564  EASTERN    DISTRICT. 

this  route,  which,  if  completed,  would  be  of  infinite 
convenience  to  the  province  in  general,  as  well  as 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  adjoining  townships  :  also 
the  want  of  a  few  locks  being  erected  along  the 
river  St.  Lawrence,  between  the  towns  of  Cornwall 
and  New  Johnstown,  in  the  following  places,  viz. 
Long-Sault,  Galleaus,  and  Rapid  Aux  Plau, 
(which  might  be  done  with  little  expence)  greatly 
retards  the  improvement  of  the  province  at  large. 
Another  great  detriment,  both  to  the  commercial 
and  agricultural  societies  in  the  province,  is  the 
want  of  capitalists  becoming  settlers  therein. 

Char lot tenb  uryh , 
6th  Jan.  1818. 

JOHN  CAMERON,  M.  P.       DUN.  Me  KENZIE, 
ALEX.  Me  KENZIE,  J.  P.    ALEX.  CAMERON, 
ALEX.  FLETCHER,  JOHN  WRIGHT, 

JOHN  Me  KENZIE,  D.  Me  PHERSON, 

PETER  FERGUSON,  LEWIS  CHISHOLM, 

PETER  Me  INTYRE,  A.  FRASER, 

ALEX.  Me  GRUER,  DON.  Me  KENZIE, 

JOHN  Me  MARTIN,  M.  P.   JAMES  GUMMING, 
JOHN  Me  LENNAN,  ALEX.  Me  GILLIES, 

WM.  Me  LEOD,  ALEX.  CLARK, 

HUGH  Me  DONELL,  ALLAN  Me  DONALD. 


TOWNSHIP    REPORT.  565 


EASTERN  DISTRICT. 


SUMMARY    OF    POPULATION. 

THE  above  exhausts  the  budget  of  regular 
Township  Reports  put  into  my  hands  by  the  inha- 
bitants of  Upper  Canada,  for  publication  in  Eng- 
land. Having  but  a  single  one  from  this  district, 
I  can  by  no  means  give  an  accurate  estimate  of  its 
population. 

By  the  Report,  CHARLOTTENBURGH 
contained,  in  1817  li;  .  :'>*''  .  2,500 

CORNWALL,  including  its  village,  may 
be  reckoned  to  hold  as  many  ,  */..  .  2,£00 

LANCASTER,  though  double  the  ordi- 
nary extent  of  townships  (now  by  statute 
divided  into  two),  arid  partly  well  settled, 
contained,  till  1816,  a  large  portion  of  un- 
occupied land.  Its  population  cannot, 
therefore,  be  reckoned  at  more  than  .  2,000 

OSNABRUCK,     WlLLIAMSBURGH,    and 

MATILDA,  being  front  townships,  and 
among  the  earliest  settled  in  the  province, 
are  pretty  populous.  Osnabruck  is  settled 
back  to  the  eighth  and  ninth  concessions.; 
Williamsburgh  to  the  seventh:  Matilda 
is  marshy  and  unsettled  through  a  consi- 
derable portion  of  its  extent.  The  three 
together,  I  shall  suppose,  contain  ,  ,  , 


566  EASTERN   DISTRICT. 

MOUNTAIN  and  FINCH  are  regularly 
organized,  and  have  considerable  settle- 
ments: WINCHESTER  few  or  none;  and 
ROXBURY  but  few  :  altogether  we  shall 

say         .      :;Jii   ^v:«t      .          .      «..;.         .     1,200 

12,700 

There  are  a  few  families  resident  on  the  islands 
of  the  St.  Lawrence,  opposite  to  this  district;  but 
having  neither  a  precise  estimate  of  their  numbers, 
nor  knowing  how  the  boundary  line  between  the 
United  States  and  Canada  has  determined  their 
cession  to  the  one  or  the  other  country,  I  avoid 
giving  them  any  place  in  the  estimate.  The  tract 
belonging  to  the  St.  Regis  Indians  is  now  almost 
entirely  in  the  hands  of  white  people,  who  hold 
by  lease,  and  are  reckoned  among  the  inhabitants 
of  Charlottenburgh  and  Lancaster. 


It  is  painful  for  me  once  more  to  make  excuse 
for  so  imperfect  an  account  of  a  considerable  dis- 
trict of  Upper  Canada,  by  referring  to  the  illi- 
beral jealousy  which  originated  at  the  capital, 
and  had  peculiar  aids  in  spreading  itself  from 
thence  downwards  to  this  place,  where  it  did 
not  rest  in  mere  sullenness  ;  but  ultimately  broke 
out  into  fury  and  outrage.  There  was  no  secret  as 
to  the  cause  of  this.  The  parson  of  York  had  for  a 
series  of  years  kept  a  school  in  the  village  of 


TOWNSHIP    REPORT.  567 

Cornwall ;  and  here  he  had  whipped  a  very  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  youth  into  due  submission, 
before  he  was  doubly  installed  in  the  pulpit  and 
executive  council.  Thus  situated,  no  talent  was 
required  but  that  of  activity,  to  deal  out  favours  in 
such  measure  as  to  ratify  an  authority  among 
men  which  had  been  acquired  over  them  when 
children.  Magistrates,  members  of  parliament, 
and  militia  officers,  besides  the  attorney  and  soli- 
citor general,  had  sprung  up  in  the  school  of 
Cornwall,  and  were  all  zealous  in  the  cause  of  their 
master. 

The  above  Report  of  Charlottenburgh  was  in- 
trusted by  the  body  of  subscribers  to  be  forwarded 
to  me  by  two  members  of  parliament,  both  worthy 
honest  men,  and  from  one  of  whom  I  had  received 
the  greatest  civilities  ;  but  such  became  the  so- 
lemn hum  of  suspicion — such  the  impression  from 
the  ministerial,  or  rather  clerical  awe  and  dread, 
after  the  Augusta  parson  had  proclaimed  that 
my  first  address  contained  "  principles  inimical 
to  the  peace  and  quiet  which  the  inhabitants  of 
this  province  so  happily  enjoy,"  that  this  Report, 
dated  fifth  January,  1818,  was  not  delivered  till 
the  month  of  April,  and  then  only  at  the  insti- 
gation of  another  member  of  parliament,  whose 
letter,  stating  the  doubts  which  had  weighed 
against  the  surrender,  I  still  hold  as  a  curiosity. 

Under  similar  influences,  other  Reports  were 
withheld,  and  two,  if  not  more,  withdrawn  from 
the  post  office  of  Kingston,  where  I  had  directed 
they  might  lie  for  me  till  called  for.  An  attorney 


568  EASTERN   DISTRICT. 

withdrew  one  of  these,  and  finding  afterwards 
that  I  was  to  be  prosecuted  by  Government,  had 
the  impudence  to  disperse  over  the  district  wherein 
I  was  to  be  tried  circular  letters  by  the  dozen, 
declaring  that  I  had  "  sinister  motives,"  and  this 
too  while,  by  his  own  shewing,  he  was  in  ex- 
pectation of  pleading  against  me  at  the  bar. 
The  people  of  the  Township  whose  Report  was 
thus  withdrawn,  when  they  saw  what  had  been 
done,  furnished  me  with  another,  and  publicly 
expressed  in  the  newspapers  their  disapprobation 
of  the  attorney's  conduct,  who  was,  in  fact,  a 
notorious  fool  and  blackguard.  The  other  Report 
was  withdrawn  by  a  person  of  a  very  different 
character,  a  worthy  magistrate.  Being  assured 
that  pure  simplicity  of  fear  had  been  the  moving 
principle  in  this  case,  I  called  on  his  worship, 
dined  with  him,  and  held  the  "  sinister  motives" 
so  cheap,  to  say  nothing  of  the  "  principles  ini- 
mical to  the  peace  and  quiet  which  the  inha- 
bitants of  this  province  so  happily  enjoy,"  that 
we  parted  very  good  friends  ;  the  magistrate 
having  reported  to  me  some  acts  of  a  late  governor, 
not  very  creditable. 

By  giving  place  to  these  incidents,  I  do  not 
merely  apologize  for  insufficiency  of  local  facts; 
but  I  hope  they  distinguish  features  growing  out 
of  the  political  circumstances  of  Upper  Canada 
not  unworthy  of  notice.  It  never  can  be  right 
to  hide  even  weakness,  if  by  exposure  the  cause 
can  be  removed,  especially  if  that  cause  originates 
in  superstition  or  the  delusions  of  power. 


TOWNSHIP   REPORT.  569 

The  savage  who,  40  years  ago,  was  sole  master 
of  Upper  Canada,  would  never  have  suspected  evil 
had  I  offered  to  report  for  him,  in  his  own  words, 
an  account  of  his  country  to  the  great  father  in 
England,  or  said  that  I  would  bear  home  for  him  a 
string  of  wampoom,  as  a  token  of  friendship.  The 
unsophisticated  Indian  harboured  no  unworthy 
jealousy,  no  despicable  dread  of  superior  power: 
to  man  he  was  generous-minded,  and  to  God  his 
regards  were  so  pure  that  he  would  not  even  pray 
to  him.  He  prayed  to  the  evil  spirit  to  do  him 
no  harm.  The  good  spirit,  he  said,  from  his  very 
nature,  never  would.  His  religion  was  certainly 
of  the  simplest  kind  ;  but  he  possessed  what  doc- 
tors of  more  complicated  systems  are  often  without. 
He  was  sincere  and  charitable. 

When  the  inhabitants  of  Niagara  District  had 
resolved  to  subscribe  and  send  home  a  petition  for 
inquiry,  I  was  called  upon  to  produce  a  sketch  of 
a  petition  to  the  Prince  Regent,  and,  off  hand, 
wrote  down  the  general  impressions  which  expe- 
rience and  conversation  had  made  upon  my  mind. 
The  manuscript  was  submitted  to  a  meeting  of  16 
respectable  persons,  among  whom  there  were  six 
magistrates.  They  desired  that  I  should  retire 
while  they  critically  examined  my  sketch,  and 
they  finally  resolved  that  every  thing  advanced 
could  bear  investigation,  and  stand  the  test  of 
proof.  They  ordered  the  sketch  to  be  printed 
along  with  other  documents  and  declarations,  in  a 
pamphlet,  and,  at  great  expence,  dispatched  some 
thousand  copies  of  this  pamphlet  into  the  various 


570  EASTERN    DISTRICT. 

quarters  of  the  province,  to  be  sold  out  of  stores, 
so  that  their  fellow  subjects  might  have  a  fair  op- 
portunity to  judge  of  their  principles  and  proceed- 
ings ;  and  so,  if  they  chose,  join  them  for  the 
public  good. 

By  the  time  that  this  pamphlet  was  lodged  in 
the  stores  of  the  Eastern  District,  intelligence  had 
been  dispatched  from  the  capital,  that  I  was  to  be 
prosecuted  as  the  writer  of  the  sketch  petition. 
This  gave  such  vigour  to  the  Augusta  parson,  and 
the  host  of  Cornwall,  that  "  the  peace  and  quiet 
which  the  province  so  happily  enjoyed"  was  quite 
forgotten.  They  purchased  up  the  pamphlets  out 
of  the  stores ;  and  the  4th  of  June  being  at  hand, 
when  it  was  customary  for  the  militia  to  muster, 
and  shew  themselves,  written  orations  were  pre- 
pared to  denounce  me  as  the  worst  of  human 
beings,  while  bonfires  were  kindled  ready  to 
receive  the  forlorn  pamphlets;  and  thus,  to  be 
sure,  they  were  consumed,  the  priest-ridden  fa- 
natics yelling  forth  their  triumph  in  the  midst  of 
the  people,  who  were  thus  effectually  kept  in  ig- 
norance of  what  was  proposed  by  their  fellow  sub- 
jects of  Niagara  District.  Could  there  possibly  be 
any  thing  more  characteristic  of  our  experience  of 
priestly  influence  during  the  dark  ages?  Contemp- 
tible as  the  real  strength  was  at  the  bottom  of  this 
opposition,  it  was  sufficient  for  its  end,  and  the 
mischief  done  by  preventing  unanimity  in  a  truly 
virtuous  cause,  is  not  to  be  estimated.  Had  a 
commission  of  inquiry  come  home  from  Canada 
two  years  ago,  unspeakable  good  might  have  ac- 
crued, as  well  to  this  country  as  to  that. 
3 


TOWNSHIP   REPORT.  571 

Although  this  is  not  the  place  for  political  docu- 
ments, I  cannot  think  but  I  may  appropriately 
display,  before  we  get  out  of  the  Eastern  District, 
the  article  which  was  so  nefariously  stolen  from 
the  perusal  of  its  inhabitants ;  an  article  which 
flowed  from  the  very  purest  vein  of  loyalty  and 
patriotism. 


Draught  of  an  Address  proposed  for  presentation  to 
the  Prince  Regent — submitted  to  the  consideration 
of  the  people  of  Upper  Canada,  for  animadver- 
sion and  amendment. 


To  His  ROYAL  HIGHNESS,  GEORGE,  PRINCE  OF 
WALES,  REGENT  OF  THE  UNITED  KINGDOM  OF  GREAT 
BRITAIN  AND  IRELAND,  &c.  &c.  &c. 

The  Humble  Address  of  Inhabitants  of  Upper  Canada. 

May  it  please  your  Royal  Highness, 

THE  subjects  of  your  Royal  Father,  dwelling  in  Upper 
Canada,  should  need  no  words  to  give  assurance  of  their 
loyalty,  if  the  whole  truth  had  reached  the  throne  of  their 
Sovereign.  His  loving  subjects  have  reason  to  believe  that 
the  truth  has  not  been  told. 

During  three  years  of  war,  Upper  Canada  was  exposed 
to  the  ravages  of  a  powerful  and  inveterate  foe.  The 
Government  of  the  United  Slates  had  been  long  concerting 
the  invasion  of  this  Province :  hostile  preparations  against 
it,  had  been  long  masked  under  other  designs :  and  at  last 
the  accumulated  torrent  of  violence  burst  on  the  defenceless 


572  EASTERN    DISTRICT. 

children  of  the  British  Empire.  Nor  were  they  assailed  by 
the  weapons  of  war  alone.  An  insidious  Proclamation 
preceded  the  host  of  the  enemy — forgetful  of  honour — re- 
gardless of  humanity;  and,  daring  to  seduce  the  subjects 
of  Britain  from  their  true  allegiance.  The  subjects  of 
Britain  remained  dauntless  and  firm.  It  was  not  for  pro- 
perty that  they  rose  against  the  Invader:  the  Invader  would 
have  spared  to  them  their  property.  They  flew  to  arms  in 
defence  of  the  Rights  arid  Sovereignty  of  Britain.  Twice 
had  the  American  standard  been  planted  in  Upper  Canada, 
while  yet  but  a  handful  of  British  troops  aided  the  native 
battalions  of  the  Province ; — twice  did  these  raw  battalions 
wave  the  laurel  of  victory  over  the  prostrate  Intruders  on 
their  soil.  The  second  year  of  war  saw  Canada  contending 
with  yet  little  assistance  from  the  parent  state: — the  second 
year  of  war  saw  her  sons  confirmed  in  their  virtue,  and  still 
more  determined  to  resist.  Wives  and  children  had  fled 
from  their  homes,  the  face  of  the  country  was  laid  waste, 
and  the  fire  of  revenge  was  sent  forth  to  consummate  dis- 
tress and  misery; — still  was  the  spirit  of  the  people  unex- 
tingnished — still  did  it  burn  with  patriotism  and  loyalty. 

By  the  third  year,  every  risk  of  conquest  was  at  an  end ; 
for  now  the  British  aids  poured  into  the  Provinces;  and 
peace  was  proclaimed,  when  war  was  no  longer  to  be 
feared. 

It  is  now  more  than  three  years  since  there  was  an  end  of 
war;  but,  strange  to  say,  these  years  of  peace  have  mani- 
fested no  appearance  of  affection  or  care  from  the  mother 
country  to  the  Canadas.  Commercial  treaties  have  been 
made,  altogether  neglectful  of  British  interests,  here : 
Government  transactions,  which  used  to  give  spirit  to  trade 
and  industry,  are  at  a  stand :  troops  are  withdrawn :  fortifi- 
cations are  suffered  to  go  to  ruin ;  and  rumours  are  abroad 
too  shocking  to  be  repeated  in  the  Royal  ear. 

May  it  please  your  Royal  Highness  to  listen  calmly  to 


TOWNSHIP   REPORT.  573 

the  complaints  and  grievances  of  the  people  of  Upper  Ca- 
nada, who  are  fully  assured  that  your  Royal  Highness  has 
been  kept  ignorant  of  most  important  truths, — who  are  well 
assured  of  the  generous  dispositions  of  your*  Royal  heart; 
and  of  your  desire  that  British  subjects,  should,  every  where, 
share  equally,  your  paternal  regard  and  affection. 

It  was  matter  of  much  provocation  to  the  people  of  this 
Province,  to  see,  even  during  the  war,  which  afforded  such 
striking  proofs  of  their  loyalty  and  valour,  reports  sent 
home,  highly  rating  the  merit  of  regular  troops,  while  the 
tribute,  due  to  Canadian  levies,  was  unfairly  let  down. 
Nay  the  principles  of  the  most  loyal  subjects  here,  were 
often  stigmatized  by  British  Officers,  ignorant  of  human 
character,  and  still  more  so  of  circumstances  which  affect 
it,  in  this  part  of  the  world.  It  was  not  so  with  the  immor- 
tal Brock.  He  justly  appreciated  Canadian  worth ;  and  his 
memory  will  happily  long  cherish,  in  the  minds  of  the  Cana- 
dian people,  a  due  regard  for  the  genuine  spirit  of  a  Bri- 
tish soldier,  at  once  generous  and  brave. 

The  loyal  Inhabitants  of  Upper  Canada  would  disdain  to 
notice  the  misrepresentations  of  individuals,  so  contrary  to 
notorious  truth,  if  these  had  not  obviously  conspired,  with 
other  causes,  to  lessen  the  regard,  which  should  subsist 
between  British  subjects,  here  and  at  home — to  influence 
the  conduct  of  ministers  towards  the  general  interest  of  the 
Provinces. 

The  loyal  subjects  of  his  Majesty  in  Upper  Canada, 
suffered  grievously  during  the  war,  in  their  property,  and 
many  were  bereft  of  their  all.  A  solemn  investigation,  on 
this  subject,  took  place :  the  claims  of  sufferers  were  authen- 
ticated; and  there  was  every  reason  to  expect  that  recom- 
pence  would  immediately  follow;  yet  nothing  has  followed, 
but  delay  and  insult. — Surely,  if  there  is,  among  mankind, 
a  single  principle  of  justice,  this  is  one,  that  the  individuals 
of  a  nation  ought  not,  partially,  to  bear  the  weight  of  public 


574  EASTERN   DISTRICT. 

calamity,— surely,  individuals  who  have  exposed  their  lives 
for  government,  should  not  be  disgusted,  with  finding  go- 
vernment regardless  of  those  very  principles,  which  it  is  in- 
tended to  sustain.  The  people  of  this  Province  are  well 
aware,  that  their  fellow  subjects,  at  home,  are  pressed  hard 
with  taxation ;  and  far  is  it  from  their  wish  that  relief  should 
be  afforded  from  thence.  Canada  contains,  within  itself, 
ample  means  of  exonerating  government  from  the  clahns  of 
sufferers  by  war ;  and  it  is  within  the  fiat  of  your  Royal 
Highness  to  remove,  by  a  single  breath,  the  evil  now  so 
justly  complained  of.  Millions  of  acres  of  fertile  land  lie 
here,  at  the  disposal  of  your  Royal  Highness,  upon  the 
credit  of  which,  put  under  proper  management,  not  only 
the  fair  claims  of  loyal  sufferers  could  be  instantly  advanced; 
but  vast  sums  could  be  raised  for  the  improvement  of  the 
Provinces,  and  the  increase  of  revenue  to  Britain. 

Another  grievance,  manifesting  the  neglect  of  govern- 
ment to  the  concerns  of  Upper  Canada,  is  equally  notorious; 
and  must  be  still  more  abhorrent  to  the  generous  feelings  of 
your  Royal  Highness. 

The  young  men  of  this  Province,  who  were  armed  in  its 
defence,  had,  for  their  spirited  conduct,  the  promise  of  their 
commanders,  that  land  would  be  granted  them  as  a  reward 
for  their  services,  as  soon  as  war  was  terminated;  and  after 
this  promise  was  universally  confided  io,  the  Parliament  of 
Upper  Canada  passed  an  extraordinary  law,  in  the  face  of 
established  British  principles,  that  the  militia  should  pass 
beyond  the  frontier.  With  these  promises,  and  in  obedience 
to  this  law,  the  militia  passed  beyond  the  frontier  with  ala- 
crity :  yet,  since  the  peace,  the  greater  part  of  them  have  been 
denied  the  pledge  of  their  extraordinary  services,  and  the 
land  is  unjustly  withheld. 

Such  ingratitude — such  dishonour — such  errors  in  policy, 
your  Royal  Highness  may  be  well  assured,  could  not  exist, 
without  extraordinary  influences ;  and  were  your  Royal  High- 


TOWNSHIP   REPORT.  675 

ness  sufficiently  informed  as  to  these,  and  of  the  true  state  of 
Upper  Canada,  we  flatter  ourselves,  most  important  changes 
would  speedily  take  place,  as  well  for  the  glory  of  the  throne, 
as  for  the  benefit  of  its  subjects. 

Permit  the  loyal  subjects  of  his  Majesty  merely  to  say  as 
much,  at  the  present  time,  OB  this  subject,  as  may  induce 
your  Royal  Highness  to  order  inquiry  to  be  made. 

The  lands  of  the  Crown  in  Upper  Canada,  are  of  immense 
extent,  not  only  stretching  far  and  wide  into  the  wilderness, 
but  scattered  over  the  province,  and  intermixed  with  private 
property,  already  cultivated.  The  disposal  of  this  land  is 
left  to  Ministers  at  home,  who  are  palpably  ignorant  of  exist" 
ing  circumstances ;  and  to  a  council  of  men  resident  in  the 
province,  who,  it  is  believed,  have  long  converted  the  trust 
reposed  in  them  to  purposes  of  selfishness.  The  scandalous 
abuses,  in  this  department,  came  some  years  ago  to  such  a 
pitch  of  monstrous  magnitude,  that  the  home  Ministers 
wisely  imposed  restrictions  on  the  Land  Council  of  Upper 
Canada.  These,  however,  have  by  no  means  removed  the 
evil ;  and  a  system  of  patronage  and  favouritism,  in  the 
disposal  of  the  Crown  lands,  still  exists,  altogether  destruc- 
tive of  moral  rectitude,  and  virtuous  feeling,  in  the  manage- 
ment of  public  affairs.  Corruption,  indeed,  has  reached 
such  a  height  in  this  Province,  that  it  is  thought  no  other 
part  of  the  British  empire  witnesses  the  like;  and  it  is  vain 
to  look  for  improvement  till  a  radical  change  is  effected.  It 
matters  not  what  characters  Jill  situations  of  public  trust  at 
present: — all  sink  beneath  the  dignity  of  men — become 
vitiated  and  weak,  as  soon  as  they  are  placed  within  ihe 
vortex  of  destruction.  Confusion  on  confusion  has  grown 
out  of  this  unhappy  system;  and  the  very  lands  of  the 
Crown,  the  giving  away  of  which  has  created  such  mischief 
and  iniquity ,  have  ultimately  come  to  little  value  from  abuse. 
The  poor  subjects  of  his  Majesty,  driven  from  home  by 
distress,  to  whom  portions  of  land  are  granted,  can  nowjlnd 


576  EASTERN   DISTRICT. 

in  the  grant  no  benefit ;  and  loyalists  of  the  United  Empire 
— the  descendants  of  those  who  sacrificed  their  all  in  America, 
in  behalf  of  British  rule — men  whose  names  were  ordered 
on  record  for  their  virtuous  adherence  to  your  Royal  Fa- 
ther,— the  descendants  of  these  men  find,  now,  no  favour  in 
their  destined  rewards :  nay,  these  rewards,  when  granted, 
have,  in  many,  cases,  been  rendered  worse  than  nothing  /  for 
the  legal  rights  in  the  enjoyment  of  them  have  been  held  at 
nought:  their  land  has  been  rendered  unsaleable,  and,  in 
some  cases,  only  a  source  of  distraction  and  care. 

Under  this  si/stem  of  internal  management,  and  weakened 
from  other  evil  influences,  Upper  Canada  now  pines  in  com- 
parative decay/ :  discontent  and  poverty  are  experienced  in  a 
land  supremely  blessed  with  the  gifts  of  nature:  dread  of 
arbitrary  power  wars,  here,  against  the  free  exercise  of  rea- 
son and  manly  sentiment :  laws  have  been  set  aside :  legis- 
lators have  come  into  derision;  and,  contempt  from  the 
mother  country  seems  fast  gathering  strength  to  disunite  the 
people  of  Canada  from  their  friends  at  home. 

The  immediate  interference  of  your  Royal  Highness  might 
do  much  to  check  existing  eVils ;  and  might  wholly  remove 
those  which  spring  from  the  system  of  patronage  and  fa- 
vouritism, in  the  land-granting  department.  Other  evils, 
however,  greatly  retard  the  prosperity  of  Upper  Canada- 
evils  which  have  their  root  in  the  original  constitution  of  the 
Province,  and  these  can  only  be  removed  by  the  interference 
of  the  British  Parliament,  now  most  imperiously  required. 

Deeply  penetrated  with  these  sentiments,  and  most  seriously 
inclined  to  have  such  needful  changes  speedily  effected,  the 
loyal  subjects  of  Britain,  dwelling  in  Upper  Canada,  now 
take  the  extraordinary  step  of  sending  home  Commissioners 
to  bear  this  to  the  throne,  and  humbiy  entreat  your  Royal 
Highness  to  give  ear  to  the  details  which  it  will  be  in  their 
power  to  relate  :  above  all,  that  your  Royal  Highness  would, 
immediately,  send  out  to  this  Province  a  COMMISSION,  con- 


TOWNSHIP   REPORT.  577 

sis  ting  of  discreet  and  wise  men — men  of  business  and  talent, 
who  shall  be  above  every  influence  here ;  and  who  may  be 
instructed  to  make  inquiry  into  all  the  sources  of  evil. 

The  part  printed  above  in  italics  was  that  for 
which  1  was  first  tried,  and  honourably  acquitted 
in  Upper  Canada. 

What  semblance  has  the  general  spirit  of  the 
sketch  to  any  thing  like  sedition  ?  What  word  in 
it  bears  affinity  to  libel  ?  What  honest  pretext 
could  be  found  for  arresting  me  for  this  publication, 
known  to  have  been  approved  of,  printed,  and  cir- 
culated by  the  authority  of  six  magistrates  of  the 
province,  and  others  equally  respectable  ?  The 
honest  pretext  was  not,  and  is  not  to  be  found ; 
but  the  object  was  to  harass  me,  to  frighten  the 
people  of  Upper  Canada,  and  distract  their  attention 
from  the  main  object  of  inquiry  into  the  system  of 
managing  public  affairs — the  selfish,  thriftless, 
ruinous  conduct  of  a  weak  and  wicked  ministry. 

The  first  prompter  to  the  prosecution  was,  I 
have  no  doubt,  William  Dickson,  whose  spite  at 
last  resorted  to  the  base,  invidious,  and  cruel  mea- 
sure of  imprisonment  and  banishment,  without 
trial  for  crime ;  and  it  was  very  curious  that  this 
man,  just  before,  had  caused  to  be  published  a 
pamphlet  in  the  United  States,  containing  a  libel 
against  a  respectable  private  character,  of  so  gross 
and  palpable  a  description,  that  the  printer  was  pro- 
secuted and  ruined  by  the  fine,  which  Dickson  had 
only  refunded  in  a  small  part,  prior  to  my  leaving 
the  country.  But  this  was  not  all;  I  had  it  from 

p  v 


578  EASTERN    DISTRICT. 

the  authority  of  Dickson's  brother,  that  the  York 
parson  was  the  writer  of  the  pamphlet  in  question. 
Thus,  the  worst  kind  of  libellers, — men  who  could 
descend  to  the  base  practice  of  libelling  individual 
private  character,  stirred  up  persecution  against 
me  for  the  above  sketch,  which  points  at  no  one, 
reflects  only  upon  the  general  mismanagement  of 
affairs,  and  was  neither  printed  nor  published  by  me 
directly;  which,  indeed,  appeared  in  many  British 
newspapers  without  ever  suggesting  the  thought 
of  seditious  libel.  I  do  ask  the  reader  to  reflect  on 
the  state  of  that  country  where  such  a  legislative 
councillor,  and  such  a  reverend  executive  coun- 
cillor can  have  such  sway,  and  such  a  triumph 
over  a  British  subject  as  was  ultimately  gained  over 
me.  Not  only  for  the  sake  of  Upper  Canada,  but 
for  the  sake  of  British  honour — -for  the  sake  of 
truth  and  humanity,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  such 
triumph  will  not  be  permanent,  nor  such  con- 
duct be  passed  over  without  due  scrutiny  and 
censure. 

When  arrested,  as  writer  of  the  above  sketch, 
I  was  impressed  with  a  belief  that  an  ex-officio 
process  was  to  brazen  out  the  adventure  of  prose- 
cution ;  and  it  will  astonish  readers  of  this  coun- 
try, how  a  bill  of  indictment  could  be  found  for 
such  a  publication,  compared  to  which,  as  a  ge- 
neral censure  on  ministers,  the  daily  effusions  of 
the  London  press  are  ten  times  more  pointed 
and  severe;  but  the  fact  is,  that  grand-jurymen 
of  Upper  Canada,  are,  almost  to  a  man,  creatures  of 
the  governor, — magistrates,  militia  officers,  or  ex- 

1 


TOWNSHIP    REPORT.  579 

pectants  of  favour,  who  would  at  once  be  marked, 
were  they  to  think  for  themselves.  They  would,  I 
do  believe,  if  stupified  with  political  influence,  find 
a  true  bill  against  a  cow  for  eating  her  master's 
grass.  The  finding  which  authorized  my  last 
mock-trial,  gives  sufficient  proof  of  this.  The 
petty-jury  were  less  to  blame,  as  they  had  only  the 
simple  fact  to  attest ;  and  it  is  probable  that  my 
wretched  condition  and  incoherent  discourse  drew 
off  attention,  as  well  from  the  palpable  miscon- 
struction of  the  Judge,  as  from  some  gross  imperti- 
nencies  of  the  Attorney-general,  who  was  not  con- 
tented with  explaining  the  law,  and  proving  the 
fact,  of  my  having  refused  to  leave  the  province; 
but  laboured  to  stir  up  prejudices  against  me,  by 
examining  a  witness  as  to  my  conduct,  and  ex- 
claiming against  some  passages  in  the  above  sketch 
petition,  as  "  infamous  libels;"  nay,  he  put  it  to 
the  witness,  to  say  if  the  words  "  all  sink  beneath 
the  dignity  of  men — become  vitiated  and  weak  as 
soon  as  they  are  placed  within  the  vortex  of  de- 
struction," did  not  libel  him,  the  Attorney-general. 
Vitiated  and  weak  indeed ! 


p  p  2 


580  OTTAWA    DISTRICT. 


OTTAWA  DISTRICT. 


THIS  district,  recently  formed  out  of  part  of 
the  Eastern  District,  had  no  communication  by 
land  with  the  other  parts  of  the  province,  till  1816, 
when  some  Scotch  emigrants  were  located  in  the 
upper  part  of  Lancaster,  and  assisted  in  opening 
roads.  At  great  hazard  I  crossed  to  it  through 
the  new  settlements,  the  first  week  of  June,  1818, 
on  horseback,  and  spent  a  couple  of  days  there. 

The  only  settlements  were  in  Hawkesbury  and 
Longeuil;  and  I  do  not  suppose  the  whole  popu- 
lation could  amount  to  more  than  1,500  ;  probably 
not  so  many.  Much  of  the  landed  property  being 
held  by  merchants  in  Montreal,  &c.,  the  farmers 
in  Hawkesbury  were  so  kept  at  arm's  length  by 
untaxed  lots  that  they  could  do  little  in  union 
for  public  good  or  their  own  relief.  In  Longeuil, 
a  party  of  people  from  the  United  States  were 
settled  more  compactly,  and  shewed  signs  of  vi- 
gorous improvement.  In  passing  northward  from 
Lancaster,  the  Ottawa  river  presents  itself  in 
grand  style  ;  and  the  woods  of  the  Lower  Province 
rising  from  its  opposite  bank,  upon  hills,  varying 
in  their  aspect,  and  some  of  them  steep  and  lofty, 
produce  an  effect  very  agreeable  to  him  who  has 
long  been  accustomed  to  the  greater  tameness  of 
Upper  Canada.  On  an  island  in  Ottawa  river, 
opposite  the  higher  part  of  Hawkesbury  township, 
are  erected  saw  mills  of  the  best  construction,  and 


OTTAWA    DISTRICT.  581 

upon  a  scale  superior  to  any  other  in  the  province. 
They  were  first  owned  by  Mr.  Mears,  of  Hawkes- 
bury;  but  are  now  the  property  of  Mr.  Hamilton, 
from  Ireland ;  and  the  business  seemed  to  be  car- 
ried on  by  him  with  great  spirit ;  about  fourscore 
people  being  employed  in  the  works  on  the  island. 
Nothing  can  be  better  situated  than  these  mills, 
either  as  it  respects  the  command  of  water,  as  a 
moving  power  for  machinery,  or  as  a  conductor  of 
the  log  timber  to  the  mills.  The  Ottawa  river,  a 
little  way  above  the  island,  expands  into  a  noble 
sheet  of  navigable  water,  extending  as  far  as  the 
eye  can  reach :  at  and  below  the  island,  for  eight 
or  nine  miles,  it  is  rapid.  In  my  sketch  of  the 
practicable  water-courses,  inserted  upon  the  large 
map  attached  to  this  volume,  I  have  introduced  a 
canal  for  getting  over  this  rapid,  and  the  accom- 
plishment of  this  upon  a  proper  scale,  is  an  object 
of  high  importance  both  for  public  good,  and  the 
benefit  of  those  who  possess  lands  to  the  west  and 
north.  The  Ottawa,  indeed,  for  nearly  two 
hundred  miles,  could  be  made  navigable  for  large 
steam  boats,  with  little  else  than  locks,  were  this, 
one  of  the  most  considerable  rapids,  got  over;  and 
into  it  flow  the  rivers  Petite  Nation,  Rideau, 
Mississippi,  and  others,  all  capable  of  being  navi- 
gated with  an  expenditure,  quite  moderate,  con- 
sidered in  proportion  to  the  vast  commerce  which 
the  naturally  fertile  regions  on  their  banks,  well 
cultivated,  would  surely  generate. 

There  is,  at  the  extremity  of  that  part  of  Ottawa 
river,  called   the  lake  of  the  Two  Mountains,  a 


582  OTTAWA    DISTRICT. 

considerable  current,  but  not  such  as  to  impede 
navigation;  and  when  I  left  Canada,  it  was  said 
that  a  small  steam  boat  was  established,  to  ply 
regularly  from  La  Chine,  near  Montreal,  to  the 
lower  part  of  Hawkesbury  township.  How  glo- 
rious might  be  the  day,  and  that  day  may  be 
within  twenty  years  from  the  present  time,  when, 
by  the  union  of  British  capital  and  Canadian 
capability,  steam  boats  of  .500  tons  burden,  could 
take  their  departure  from  Quebec  and  Montreal, 
pass  up  the  St.  Lawrence  or  Ottawa  into  lakes 
Superior  and  Michigan  ;  excite  industry  and  ho- 
nest ambition  by  the  display  of  British  manufac- 
tures, and  return  loaded  with  the  produce  of  the 
distant  and  wide-spreading  shores! 

As  I  have  no  regular  report  from  Ottawa  dis- 
trict, and  only  one  from  that  which  lays  alongside 
of  it,  I  shall  here  introduce  accounts  of  some 
seigniories  and  townships  on  the  opposite  side 
of  Ottawa  river,  and  otherwise  on  or  near  the 
boundary  of  Upper  Canada,  from  Bouchette's 
Geographical  Description  of  Lower  Canada. 

These  seigniories  and  townships  appear  in  my 
map,  and  an  account  of  their  soil,  state  of  settle- 
ment, tenure,  &c.  may  be  of  use  to  him  who 
thinks  of  emigrating  to  the  provinces.  I  shall 
make  no  invidious  comparison  between  Upper 
and  Lower  Canada  ;  but  this  may  be  said  for  the 
latter,  that  its  proximity  to  market,  considerably 
compensates  for  severity  of  climate;  and  all  within 
the  compass  of  my  map  may  be  occupied  by 


OTTAWA   DISTRICT.  583 

British  emigrants,  without  any  risk  of  their  early 
habits  unfitting  them  to  contend  with  that  severity. 
The  fact  is,  that  the  winter  cold  of  Canada  greatly 
exceeds  that  of  Britain,  looking  to  the  range  of  the 
thermometer*,  yet  it  is  much  less  painful  to  the 
feelings  than  that  which  proceeds  from  our  moister 
atmosphere;  and  it  is  exceedingly  healthy  and 
invigorating  Indeed  I  would  not  wish  to  dictate 
as  to  the  emigrant's  choice  of  situation  any  where 
in  the  country  between  Montreal  and  Sandwich. 

I  ought,  of  course,  to  have  had  Mr.  Bouchette's 
leave  for  extracting  so  largely  as  is  done  below; 
but  this  at  present  being  impossible,  I  shall  trust  to 
his  pardon.  My  object  is  to  make  his  country 
known;  and  the  following  specimens  of  his  publi- 
cation may  attract  readers  to  his  work,  but  cannot 
injure  its  sale.  His  geographical  descriptions  of 
Lower  Canada  are  no  doubt  correct,  from  his  hav- 
ing had  the  best  means  of  information,  in  his  capa- 
city of  Surveyor  General  of  that  province.  Should 
a  second  edition  of  his  book  appear,  the  NOTES  on 
Upper  Canada  should  be  revised. 


*  The  mercury  in  the  thermometer  has  been  known  to  fall  to 
30°  below  Zero,  at  Quebec.  One  day,  while  I  was  in  Upper 
Canada,  it  fell  to  15°  below  Zero,  near  Queenston. 


N.B.  In  perusing  the  following  extracts,  the  reader  should  be 
aware  that  the  word  mountain  is  used  in  the  French  sense,  which 
makes  a  hill,  of  a  few  hundred  feet  high,  a  mountain.  That  near 
Montreal,  which,  according  to  Mr.  Bouchette  is  550  feet  high,  is 
the  most  conspicuous,  and  uniformly  termed  Montreal  Mountain. 


584  LOWER   CANADA. 


LOWER  CANADA 

is  divided  into  the  districts  of  Montreal,  Three  Rivers, 
Quebec,  and  Gaspe,  which,  by  proclamation  of  the  govern- 
ment, dated  May  7,  1792,  were  subdivided  into  the  follow- 
ing twenty-one  counties,  viz.  Bedford,  Buckingham,  Corn- 
wallis,  Devon,  Dorchester,  Effingham,  Gaspe,  Hampshire. 
Hertford,   Huntingdon,    Kent,    Leinster,    Montreal,  St. 
Maurice,  Northumberland,   Orleans,   Quebec,  Richelieu, 
Surrey,  Warwick,  and  York.     The  minor  divisions  are, 
1st,  The  seigniories,  or  the  original  grants  of  the  French 
government  under  the  feudal   system;    these  are   again 
partitioned  out  into  parishes,  whose  extents  were  exactly 
defined  by  a  regulation  made  in  September,   1721,  by 
Messrs.  De  Vaudreuil  and  Bigon,  assisted  by  the  Bishop 
of  Quebec,   and  confirmed   by   an    "  Arret  du   Conseil 
Superieur"  of  the  3d  of  May,  1722.     These  limits,  how- 
ever, were  not  strictly  adhered  to,  for  as  the  population 
increased,  and  settlements  became  numerous  and  exten- 
sive, it  was  found  expedient  to  build  many  new  churches, 
that  the  means  and  accommodations  for  religious  worship 
might  keep  pace  with  the  numerical  increase  of  the  com- 
municants ;  for  the  support  of  these,  portions  of  ancient 
parishes  have,  from  time  to  time,  been  constituted  into 
new  ones.     2d.  The  townships,  or  grants  of  land  made  by 
the  English  government  since  the  year  1796,  in  free  and 
common  soccage. 


SEIGNIORIES. 

NEW  LONGEUIL  (the  seigniory  of) — the  most  westerly 
of  all  the  Lower  Province,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river 
St.  Lawrence,  is  in  the  county  of  York,  and  runs  along  the 
shore  of  lake  St.  Francis,  two  leagues  in  front,  as  far  as 


SEIGNIORIES.  585 

the  boundary-line  of  Upper  Canada,  which  forms  its  south- 
west limit,  by  three  leagues  in  depth;  on  the  north,  a 
location  of  1000  acres  to  the  late  Lieutenant-Colonel  De 
Longeuil    separates    it  from    the  township   of  Newton; 
and  on  the  north-east  it  is  bounded  by  the  seigniory  of 
Soulange.     On  the  21st  April,  1734,  it  was  granted  to 
Sieur  Joseph  Lemoine,  Chevalier  de  Longeuil,  and  is  now 
the  property  of  Saveuse  de  Beaujeu,  Esq.     This  tract  of 
land  lies  rather  low  ;  on  the  north-east  side  part  of  a  great 
swamp  spreads  over  a  large  space,  which  is  covered  with 
cedar,  spruce  fir,  and  hemlock  trees,  the  sure  indicatives 
of  such  a  soil ;  but  which  requires  only  the  operation  of 
draining  to  be  converted  into  good  and  profitable  land.    To 
the  south-west  the  ground  rises  much  above  the  level  of 
the  opposite  side,  and  abounds  with  many  spots  suitable  to 
the  production  of  grain  of  all  sorts,  as  well  as  favourable  to 
the  cultivation  both  of  hemp  and  flax,  and  every  other  re- 
quisite purpose  of  farming.     The  woods  afford  abundance 
of  fine  trees,  but  beech  and  maple  most  predominate ;  there 
is,  however,  great  plenty  of  all  the  other  useful  sorts,  either 
for  timber  or  fuel.     The  rivers  Delisle  and  Baudet  water 
it  very  commodiously:  the  first  crosses  it  diagonally  from 
Upper  Canada,  where  it  has  its  source,  into  the  seigniory 
of  Soulange;  and  the  latter  at  its  south-west  angle,  from 
the  upper  part  of  the  township  of  Lancaster  to  Pointe  au 
Baudet :  neither  of  them  are  navigable,  though  on  the  lat- 
ter, whose  banks  are  much  the  highest,  and  the  current 
strongest,  large  quantities  of  staves  and  other  timber  felled 
in  its  vicinity,  are  floated  down  to  the  Saint  Lawrence  in 
the  spring,  when  the  stream  is  swelled  by  the  melted  snow 
and  ice ;  they  both  turn  some  good  grist  and  saw  mills. 
The  front  of  the  seigniory,  along  the  St.  Lawrence,  between 
Ance  au  Bateaux  and  Pointe  au  Baudet,  is  very  low,  and 
overflowed  so  frequently  as  to  make  it  impracticable  to 
maintain  a  road  fit  to  keep  up  a  communication  through 


0&6  JLOWER   CANADA. 

this  distance;  but  in  winter,  the  route  upon  the  ice  along 
this  part,  and  on  the  north  side  of  the  lake  into  Upper 
Canada,  is  preferred,  as  being  shorter  than  the  road  lead- 
ing by  the  side  of  the  river  Delisle :  this  road  is,  however, 
called  the  principal  one  between  the  two  provinces,  but  it 
will  require  much  amendment  to  render  it  so  convenient 
as  it  ought  to  be  for  the  increasing  intercourse  between 
these  parts.  The  greatest  part  of  the  concessions,  in  New 
Longeuil,  are  about  Ance  an  Bateaux  and  Pointe  au 
Baudet,  on  each  side  of  the  river  Delisle,  and  still  further 
to  the  rear  in  the  Cotes  St.  George  and  St.  Andre,  where 
a  number  of  Scotch  families  are  settled,  whose  industry  has 
so  far  benefited  their  lands,  that  they  are  now  among  the 
best  parts  of  the  seigniory,  although  the  other  conceded  lots 
are  in  a  very  fair  state  of  agricultural  improvement.  The 
male  inhabitants  of  this  and  three  or  four  other  seigniories 
in  this  part  of  the  district  are  mostly  voyageurs,  a  name  given 
to  the  persons  employed  in  the  north-west  fur  trade,  whose 
wandering  mode  of  life,  toilsome  and  laborious  as  it  is  in 
the  extreme,  has  superior  charms  for  them  than  the  more 
regular  and  profitable  pursuits  of  husbandry.  Such  a  dis- 
inclination to  yield  to  the  quiet  sameness  of  a  fixed  resi- 
dence is  seriously  inimical  to  the  progress  of  cultivation  on 
tracks  that  are  but  sparingly  peopled ;  and  from  such  a 
cause,  neither  this  nor  the  adjoining  grants,  that  contain 
many  men  who  follow  this  employment,  are  in  so  flourish- 
ing a  state  as  it  is  highly  presumable  they  would  be,  from 
their  great  fertility,  and  numerous  natural  advantages,  were 
all  their  inhabitants  of  a  more  domesticated  disposition. 

SoULANGE  stretches  four  leagues. on  the  north  bank  of 
the  Saint  Lawrence,  from  that  of  New  Longeuil  to  the 
Pointe  des  Cascades:  a  small  part  of  the  township  of 
Newton,  and  the  seigniory  of  Rigaud,  bound  it  on  the 
south-west,  as  does  the  seigniory  of  Vaudreuil  on  the  north ; 


SEIGNIORIES.  587 

with  the  latter  it  occupies  the  whole  of  the  tongue  of  land 
that  is  formed  by  the  confluence  of  the  Ottawa,  and  the 
Saint  Lawrence,  at  the  upper  extremity  of  lake  Saint 
Louis;  it  was  granted  October  12th,  170*2,  to  the  Chevalier 
de  Soulange,  and  is  now  the  property  of  Saveuse  de  Beau- 
jeu,  Esq.  The  general  character  of  the  soil  through  the 
whole  of  this  grant  is  good,  and  so  advantageously  varied 
as  to  be  fit  for  all  the  productions  natural  to  the  country. 
In  the  south-  west  corner  the  same  extensive  swamp  that 
runs  into  New  Longeuil  spreads  over  a  considerable  space: 
elm,  ash,  oak,  beech,  and  a  great  variety  of  other  trees, 
produce  fine  timber  and  wood,  for  all  purposes,  in  abun- 
dance. The  rivers  a  la  Graisse,  Rouge,  and  Delisle  con- 
veniently intersect  and  water  it  with  their  streams  ;  the  last 
is  the  largest,  though  no  use  can  at  present  be  made  of  it 
for  conveyance ;  it  might,  however,  become  navigable  for 
boats  to  the  distance  of  several  miles,  merely  by  clearing  its 
bed  from  the  trunks  of  trees,  that,  with  gradual  decay,  have 
for  ages  continued  to  fall  into  and  obstruct  it.  The  whole 
extent  of  this  property,  in  front  of  the  Saint  Lawrence,  is 
very  thickly  settled,  and  were  the  inhabitants  as  strongly 
attached  to  husbandry  as  they  are  to  the  occupation  of 
voyageurs,  it  might  be  improved  into  a  most  excellent  and 
productive  track  ;  but  even  now  it  is  far  above  mediocrity. 
At  five  miles  from  Pointe  des  Cascades  is  the  pleasant  vil- 
lage of  the  Cedars,  consisting  of  about  forty  houses,  and  a 
well-built  church :  being  the  point  of  rendezvous  for  all 
boats  passing  up  or  down  the  river,  and  having  an  estab- 
lished ferry  to  the  opposite  seigniory  of  Beauharnois,  it  is 
a  place  of  great  resort  both  for  travellers  and  traders. 
There  is  but  one  grist-mill  within  the  seigniory,  which  is 
situated  on  a  point  of  land  about  a  mile  and  a  half  below 
the  village,  and  well  known  by  the  name  of  Longeuil's 
mill.  A  short  distance  from  the  Pointe  des  Cascades  lies 
the  Isle  des  Cascades,  that,  with  two  or  three  smaller  ones, 


588  LOWER   CANADA. 

break  the  current  of  the  river  at  its  entrance  into  lake 
Saint  Louis.  A  sudden  declivity  in  its  bed,  obstructed  by 
rocks  in  some  places,  and  scooped  into  cavities  in  others, 
produces  the  most  singular  commotion,  called  the  Cascades ; 
it  is  an  extraordinary  agitation  of  the  waters  precipitated 
with  great  velocity  between  the  islands,  which  being  re- 
pelled by  the  rocks  and  hollows  underneath,  the  waves  are 
thrown  up  in  spherical  figures  much  above  the  surface,  and 
driven  with  the  utmost  violence  back  again  upon  the  cur- 
rent, exhibiting  nearly  the  same  effect  as  would  be  pro- 
duced by  the  most  furious  tempest.  To  avoid  the  danger 
of  passing  this  place,  a  canal,  usually  called  the  military 
canal,  has  been  constructed  across  the  point  of  land,  and 
through  which  all  boats  now  make  their  way  to  the  locks 
at  Le  Buisson ;  it  is  500  yards  in  length,  and  furnished 
with  the  necessary  locks ;  on  each  side  a  space  of  ground 
100  feet  deep  has  been  relinquished  by  the  proprietors  of 
Soulange  and  Vaudreuil,  and  is  reserved  for  public  pur- 
poses ;  at  the  entrance  to  the  canal,  from  the  lake  St. 
Louis,  is  a  guard-house,  where  a  small  party  of  military  is 
always  stationed.  At  a  place  near  Longeuil's  mill,  the 
bateaux  going  up  the  St.  Lawrence  are  unloaded,  and 
their  freights  transported  in  carts  to  the  village,  in  order 
that  they  may  be  towed  up  light  through  the  Grand  Batture, 
or  Rapide  du  Coteau  des  Cedres.  On  the  opposite  shore 
is  the  Rapid  de  Bouleau,  deeper,  but  not  less  difficult  to 
pass ;  the  combined  efforts  of  these  two  make  this  the  most 
intricate  and  hazardous  place  that  is  met  with  between 
Montreal  and  Lake  Ontario.  In  a  military  view  it  is  one 
of  the  most  important  spots  that  can  be  chosen,  if  it  should 
ever  unfortunately  be  again  necessary  to  adopt  defensive 
measures,  as  works  thrown  up  on  the  projecting  points  of 
each  side  would  completely  frustrate  any  attempt  to  bring 
down  by  water  a  force  sufficient  to  undertake  offensive 
operations  against  Montreal.  At  Coteau  du  Lac,  just 


SEIGNIORIES.  589 

above  river  Delisle,  boats  again  enter  locks  to  avoid  a 
very  strong  rapid,  between  Prison  Island,  and  the  point 
abreast  of  it,  where  a  duty  is  collected  upon  wines,  spirits, 
and  many  other  articles  that  are  carried  by  them  into 
Upper  Canada.  This  place  has  been  always  esteemed  a 
military  post  of  some  consequence ;  works  are  here  erect- 
ed, and  kept  in  good  repair,  that  command  the  passage  on 
the  north-side  of  the  river ;  and  was  another  thrown  up  on 
Prison  Island,  it  would  render  the  pass  so  difficult  as  to 
make  it  very  improbable  that  any  enemy,  however  enter- 
prising, would  run  the  hazard  of  it,  or  even  venture  through 
the  outer  channel  between  Prison  Island  and  Grande  Isle. 
The  stream  is  interrupted  hereabouts  by  several  islands. 
between  which  it  rushes  with  great  impetuosity,  and  is  so 
much  agitated  that  boats  and  rafts  encounter  great  incon- 
venience in  descending ;  to  go  down  in  safety  they  must 
keep  close  under  the  shores  of  Prison  Island.  At  two 
miles  from  Coteau  du  Lac  is  M'Donell's  tavern,  a  very 
good  house  for  the  accommodation  of  travellers  towards 
the  upper  province,  and  conveniently  situated  for  that  pur- 
pose. The  main  road,  those  between  the  concessions,  and 
three  good  bridges  over  the  rivers,  are  all  kept  in  excellent 
repair  throughout  this  seigniory. 

VAUDREUIL  is  very  eligibly  situated  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Ottawa  river  (or  rather  that  expansion  of  it  called 
the  Lac  des  deux  Montagnes),  in  the  county  of  York.  It 
begins  at  Pointe  des  Cascades,  and  runs  along  the  river  as 
far  as  Rigaud,  comprising  one  half  of  the  large  tongue  of 
land  mentioned  in  the  preceding  article :  it  was  granted  on 
the  23d  October,  1702,  to  Philippe  de  Rigaud,  Marquis  de 
Vaudreuil,  and  now  the  property  of  the  Honourable 
M.  E.  G.  A.  Chartier  de  Lotbiniere.  This  seigniory  is  in 
a  very  flourishing  state;  two-thirds  of  it  is  conceded  in  lots 
of  three  acres  in  front  by  twenty,  and  from  that  to  thirty  in 


590  I.OWER   CANADA. 

depth,  forming  six  different  ranges,  parallel  to  the  Ottawa: 
the  whole  number  of  lots  is  377,  and  of  these  290  are  actually 
under  excellent  cultivation.  The  soil  is  good  nearly  through- 
out, and,  in  many  places,  of  the  best  quality,  producing 
grain  and  all  the  usual  crops  of  the  country.  Three  small 
rivers  water  it,  that  in  spring  are  navigable  for  boats,  but 
after  the  freshes  have  subsided,  even  small  canoes  cannot 
work  upon  them.  Oak,  elm,  ash,  and  beech,  of  a  superior 
quality,  are  found,  besides  many  other  species  of  woods  fit 
for  all  purposes.  On  the  bank  of  the  river,  about  six  miles 
from  the  Pointe  des  Cascades,  is  a  pleasant  little  village, 
containing  from  20  to  25  houses,  well  built  of  wood,  sur- 
rounding the  church  and  parsonage-house,  which  are  both 
of  stone.  The  seignorial,  or  manor-house,  is  situated  on  a 
well  chosen  spot,  near  a  small  rapid,  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  from  the  church ;  surrounded  by  some  groves  of  elm, 
plane,  and  linden  trees,  which,  with  avenues  and  other 
plantations  in  the  English  style,  afford  many  very  pleasing 
prospects  ;  at  a  little  distance  from  the  house  are  a  grist- 
mill and  a  wind-mill,  which  serve  the  whole  community.  The 
major  part  of  the  men  of  this  seigniory  are  voyageurs  like  their 
neighbours,  yet  agriculture  does  not  languish,  nor  is  there 
a  want  of  artisans  in  any  of  the  useful  trades :  there  are 
also  five  manufactories  of  pot  and  pearl  ash.  The  ferry- 
boats from  St.  Anne  on  the  island  of  Montreal,  which  is 
the  general  route  to  Upper  Canada,  land  their  passengers 
on  this  seigniory,  near  the  manor-house;  and  from  the 
number  of  travellers  continually  passing  much  interest  and 
variety  is  conferred  upon  the  neighbourhood.  Besides  the 
main  road,  several  others  pass  through  Vaudreuil,  and  are 
all  kept  in  very  good  repair,  as  well  as  the  bridges.  From 
Point  Cavagnal  to  the  house  there  are  several  small 
islands,  all  of  which  are  appendages  to  the  original  grant. 
Two  arriere  fiefs,  within  the  seigniory,  are  both  in  pos- 
session of  M.  de  Lotbiniere. 


SEIGNIORIES,  a  591 

RIGAUD  lies  on  the  south  side  of  the  Ottawa,  in  the 
county  of  York,  and  has  for  its  boundaries  Vaudreuil  on 
the  east,  the  province  line  of  Upper  Canada  on  the  west, 
and  the  township  of  Newton  in  the  rear;  its  dimensions 
are  three  leagues  in  front  by  three  in  depth,  and  was  grant- 
ed on  the  29th  October,  1732,  to  Messrs,  de  Vaudreuil 
and  Rigaud;  the  present  proprietor  is  the  Honourable 
M.  E.  G.  A.  Chartier  de  Lotbiniere.  A  very  fertile  soil 
runs  through  the  whole  of  this  grant,  and  where  cultivated, 
is  found  well  adapted  to  grain  and  pulse  of  all  sorts.  The 
Rivers  a  la  Graisse  and  Raquette  run  through  it ;  the  first, 
passing  about  the  middle  of  the  seigniory ,  is  at  all  times 
navigable  from  the  Ottawa  up  to  the  fall,  and  greatly  con- 
tributes to  the  advantage  of  the  settlers  on  each  side  of  it; 
the  other,  in  the  eastern  part,  is  not  navigable.  Very  good 
elm,  ash,  and  some  oak,  are  found  among  the  timber  trees, 
and  some  pines  of  a  fine  growth  are  interspersed  through 
the  woods.  From  the  south-east  bank  of  River  a  la  Graisse, 
two  mountains,  of  great  height,  penetrate  some  miles  into 
the  interior,  and  greatly  encroach  upon  the  quantity  of 
cultivable  land ;  however,  about  one  half  of  this  tract  is 
conceded  in  280  lots  of  three  acres  by  20  or  25,  and  tole- 
rably well  improved ;  these  concessions  are  situated  on 
each  side  of  River  a  la  Graisse,  where  they  are  the  most 
numerous,  in  Nouvelle  Lotbiniere,  and  in  the  Cote  Ste. 
Madelaine ;  near  the  fall  are  a  grist-mill  and  a  saw-mill, 
and  a  little  below,  at  the  end  of  the  road  leading  to  Nou- 
velle Lotbiniere,  is  a  spacious  parsonage-house,  built  of 
stone,  where,  on  the  second  floor,  divine  service  is  per- 
formed until  a  church  can  be  erected,  which  is  already 
begun,  as  well  as  a  village  surrounding  it.  The  men  of 
this  seigniory  are  chiefly  voyageurs,  active,  resolute,  and 
enterprising;  the  attention  of  those  who  follow  that  em- 
ployment being  diverted  from  the  cares  of  husbandry, 
leaves  but  a  comparatively  small  number  to  become 


$92  JLOWER    CANADA. 

farmers ;  but  those  who  do  undertake  it  carry  it  011  with 
much  zeal  and  commensurate  success. 

ISLE  PERROT  lies  off  the  south-west  end  of  the  island 
of  Montreal.  The  length  of  the  island  is  seven  miles,  or  a 
little  more,  and  nearly  three  in  breadth,  at  its  widest  part : 
of  143  concessions,  rather  more  than  one  half  are  settled 
upon,  and  tolerably  well  cultivated ;  the  soil  is  of  a  light 
candy  nature  generally,  but  where  this  is  not  the  case  it  is 
an  uneven  surface  of  rock.  The  wood  is  not  entirely 
cleared  from  it  yet ;  of  what  remains,  beech  and  maple 
constitute  the  chief  part.  The  houses  of  the  inhabitants 
are  scattered  over  the  island  near  the  different  roads,  but 
no  village  upon  it ;  there  is  one  church,  and  only  one 
wind-mill. 

The  beautiful  island  of  MONTREAL  forms  the  seigniory  of 
the  same  name,  and  also  the  county  of  Montreal.  The 
Riviere  des  Prairies  on  the  north-west  side  separates  it 
from  Isle  Jesus.  The  greatest  part  of  it  was  granted  in 
1040  to  Messrs.  Cherrier  and  Le  Royer  ;  but  whether  dis- 
posed of  by  them,  or  forfeited  to  the  crown,  does  not  appear 
from  any  official  record  that  has  been  preserved :  it  is  at 
present  wholly  the  property  of  the  seminary  of  St.  Sulpice, 
at  Montreal.  As  early  as  the  year  1657,  a  large  part  of 
this,  even  at  that  period  valuable  property,  was  cleared 
and  settled,  under  the  direction  of  the  Abbe  Quotas,  who 
had  arrived  from  France  with  authority  from  the  seminary 
for  that  and  other  purposes.  The  island  is  divided  into 
the  following  nine  parishes,  St.  Ann,  St.  Genevieve,  Point 
Claire,  La  Chine,  Sault  au  Recollet,  St.  Laurent,  Riviere 
des  Prairies,  Pointe-au-Tremble,  and  Longue  Pointe. 
There  are  altogether  1376  concessions,  formed  into  ranges, 
or  as  they  are  termed  cotes.  With  the  exception  of  the 
mountain,  the  ridge  of  the  Coteau  St.  Pierre,  and  one  or 


SEIGNIORIES.  593 

two  smaller  ones  of  no  great  elevation,  the  island  exhibits 
a  level  surface,  watered  by  several  little  rivers  and  rivulets. 
These  streams  turn  numerous  grist  and  saw-mills  in  the 
interior,  while  many  more  around  the  island  are  worked  by 
the  great  rivers.  From  the  city  of  Montreal  to  the  east- 
ward the  shores  are  from  15  to  20  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  St.  Lawrence ;  but  in  the  opposite  direction,  towards 
La  Chine,  they  are  low :  between  the  Coteau  St.  Pierre 
and  the  river  the  land  is  so  flat,  and  particularly  near  the 
little  lake  St.  Pierre  so  marshy,  as  to  induce  a  conjecture 
that  it  was  once  covered  by  water.  Over  this  place  it  is 
intended  to  cut  a  canal,  by  which  a  direct  communication 
between  the  city  and  La  Chine  will  be  formed,  and  the 
difficult  passage  of  the  rapid  of  St.  Louis  avoided :  for  the 
commencement  of  this  work  the  sum  of  25,0001.  has  been 
recently  voted  by  the  provincial  parliament.  The  soil  of 
the  whole  island,  if  a  few  insignificant  tracks  be  overlooked, 
can  scarcely  be  excelled  in  any  country,  and  is  highly  pro- 
ductive in  grain  of  every  species,  vegetables,  and  fruits  of 
various  kinds  ;  consequently  there  is  hardly  any  part  of  it 
but  what  is  in  the  most  flourishing  state  of  cultivation,  and 
may  justly  claim  the  pre-eminence  over  any  of  Lower 
Canada.  Several  roads  running  from  north-east  to  south- 
west, nearly  parallel  to  each  other,  are  crossed  by  others  at 
convenient  distances,  so  as  to  form  a  complete  and  easy 
communication  in  every  direction.  Within  a  few  years  a 
good  turnpike-road  has  been  made  from  Montreal,  almost 
in  a  straight  line,  to  the  village  of  La  Chine,  a  distance  of 
seven  miles,  by  which  the  constant  intercourse  between 
these  places  is  much  easier  than  it  was  heretofore :  by  this 
route  all  the  commodities  intended  for  Upper  Canada  are 
conveyed  to  the  place  of  embarkation.  Within  this  space 
there  is  a  great  variety,  and  some  very  romantic  prospects : 
a  mile  or  two  from  the  town,  near  the  tanneries,  the  road 
ascends  a  steepish  hill,  and  continues  along  a  high  ridge 

QQ 


594  LOWER    CANADA. 

for  more  than  three  miles,  commanding  a  beautiful  view 
over  the  cultivated  fields  below,  the  rapid  of  St.  Louis,  the 
islands  in  the  Sf.  Lawrence,  and  the  varied  woodland  sce- 
nery on  the  opposite  shore ;  descending  from  the  height, 
it  passes  over  a  flat  country  until  it  reaches  La  Chine.  This 
road  was  formerly  so  bad,  winding,  and  interrupted  by 
huge  masses  of  rock,  that  it  was  nearly  a  day's  journey  for 
the  loaded  carts  to  go  from  one  place  to  the  other.  Stores 
and  other  articles,  intended  for  the  king's  warehouses,  a 
little  beyond  the  rapid,  are  sent  by  another  road,  which 
runs  by  the  river  side. 

La  Chine  is  a  place  of  greater  importance  than  any  other 
village  on  the  island,  being  the  centre  of  all  the  commerce 
between  the  upper  and  lower  provinces,  and  the  north-west 
country  also:  whatever  merchandise  is  sent  upwards  is 
brought  hither  by  land  carriage  from  Montreal,  and  all 
the  imports  are  here  landed.  It  consists  of  only  about  20 
dwelling-houses,  but  a  great  number  of  store-houses  be- 
longing to  the  merchants,  besides  the  warehouses  of  the 
Indian  department.  A  dry  dock  of  great  extent,  for  lay- 
ing up  the  bateaux,  forms  a  valuable  part  of  the  premises 
of  Mr.  Grant.  During  the  months  between  May  and 
November,  bateaux  to  and  from  Kingston,  and  various 
parts  of  Upper  Canada,  are  continually  arriving  and  de- 
parting, which  always  occasions  a  great  deal  of  activity  and 
bustle  of  business.  The  nature  of  these  craft  may  be  very 
shortly  described :  they  are  flat-bottomed ;  from  35  to  40 
feet  in  length,  terminating  in  a  point  at  each  extremity, 
with  about  six  feet  of  beam  in  the  centre ;  the  usual  freight 
is  four,  or  four  and  a  half  tons  ;  they  are  worked  by  oars,  a 
mast  and  sail,  drag-ropes  for  towing,  and  long  poles  for 
setting  them  through  the  strong  currents  or  rapids ; 
four  men  manage  them  in  summer,  but  in  the  fall  of  the 
year  another  is  always  added,  one  of  whom  acts  as  a  guide. 
In  the  bateaux  of  the  merchants  the  cargoes  upwards  are 


SEIGNIORIES.  595 

a  general  assortment  of  merchandise,  for  which  they  bring 
down  flour,  wheat,  salt  provisions,  pot  and  pearl-ashes,  and 
peltries.  The  time  employed  in  the  voyage  to  Kingston  is 
from  ten  to  twelve  days:  but  the  return  does  not  take  more 
than  three  or  four.  They  usually  depart  in  brigades  of 
from  four  to  fifteen  boats,  in  order  that  their  crews  may  be 
able  to  afford  mutual  assistance  in  ascending  the  rapids : 
each  brigade  is  under  the  direction  of  one  man,  who  is 
called  the  conductor.  From  La  Chine  also  the  canoes  em- 
ployed by  the  north-west  company  in  the  fur  trade  take 
their  departure.  Of  all  the  numerous  contrivances  for 
transporting  heavy  burthens  by  water,  these  vessels  are 
perhaps  the  most  extraordinary ;  scarcely  any  thing  can  be 
conceived  so  inadequate,  from  the  slightness  of  their  con- 
struction, to  the  purpose  they  are  applied  to,  and  to  con- 
tend against  the  impetuous  torrent  of  the  many  rapids  that 
must  be  passed  through  in  the  course  of  a  voyage.  They 
seldom  exceed  thirty  feet  in  length,  and  six  in  breadth, 
diminishing  to  a  sharp  point  at  each  end,  without  distinc- 
tion of  head  or  stern :  the  frame  is  composed  of  small 
pieces  of  some  very  light  wood  ;  it  is  then  covered  with 
the  bark  of  the  birch  tree,  cut  into  convenient  slips,  that 
are  rarely  more  than  the  eighth  of  an  inch  in  thickness ; 
these  are  sewed  together  with  threads  made  from  the 
twisted  fibres  of  the  roots  of  a  particular  tree,  and  strength- 
ened where  necessary  by  narrow  strips  of  the  same  mate- 
rials applied  on  the  inside ;  the  joints  in  this  fragile 
planking  are  made  water-tight,  by  being  covered  with  a  spe- 
cies of  gum  that  adheres  very  firmly,  and  becomes  perfectly 
hard.  No  iron-work  of  any  description,  not  even  nails, 
are  employed  in  building  these  slender  vessels,  which, 
when  complete,  weigh  only  about  five,  hundred  weight 
each.  On  being  prepared  for  the  voyage  they  receive 
their  lading,  that  for  the  convenience  of  carrying  across 
the  portages  is  made  up  in  packages  of  about  three-quar- 

Q  Q2 


596  LOWER    CANADA. 

ters  of  a  hundred  weight  each,  and  amounts  altogether  to 
five  tons,  or  a  little  more,  including  provisions,  and  other 
necessaries  for  the  men,  of  whom  from  eight  to  ten  are 
employed  to  each  canoe  :  they  usually  set  out  in  brigades 
like  the  bateaux,  and  in  the  course  of  a  summer  upwards  of 
fifty  of  these  vessels  are  thus  dispatched.  They  proceed 
up  the  Grand,  or  Ottawa  River,  as  far  as  the  south-west 
branch,  by  which,  and  a  chain  of  small  lakes,  they  reach 
Lake  Nipissing ;  through  it,  and  down  the  French  River 
into  Lake  Huron ;  along  its  northern  coast,  up  the  narrows 
of  St.  Mary,  into  Lake  Superior,  and  then,  by  its  northern 
side,  to  the  Grand  Portage,  a  distance  of  about  1100  miles 
from  the  place  of  departure.  The  difficulties  encountered 
in  this  voyage  are  not  easily  conceived ;  the  great  number 
of  rapids  in  the  rivers,  the  different  portages  from  lake  to 
lake,  which  vary  from  a  few  yards  to  three  miles  or  more 
in  length,  where  the  canoes  must  be  unladen,  and  with 
their  contents  carried  to  the  next  water,  occasion  a  succes- 
sion of  labours  and  fatigues  of  which  but  a  poor  estimation 
can  be  formed  by  judging  it  from  the  ordinary  occupations 
of  other  labouring  classes.  From  the  Grand  Portage,  that 
is  nine  miles  across,  a  continuation  of  the  same  toils  takes 
place  in  bark  canoes  of  an  inferior  size,  through  the  chain 
of  lakes  and  streams  that  run  from  the  height  of  land  west- 
ward to  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  Lake  Winnepeg,  and 
onwards  to  more  distant  establishments  of  the  company  in 
the  remote  regions  of  the  north-west  country.  The  men 
employed  in  this  service  are  called  voyageurs ;  they  are 
robust,  hardy,  and  resolute,  capable  of  enduring  great  ex- 
tremes of  fatigue  and  privation  for  a  long  time  with  a 
patience  almost  inexhaustible.  In  the  large  lakes  they 
are  frequently  daring  enough  to  cross  the  deep  bays,  often 
a  distance  of  several  leagues,  in  their  canoes,  to  avoid 
lengthening  the  route  by  coasting  them ;  yet,  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  risks  and  hardships  attending  their  employment, 


SEIGNIORIES.  597 

they  prefer  it  to  every  other,  and  are  very  seldom  induced 
to  relinquish  it  in  favour  of  any  more  settled  occupation. 
The  few  dollars  they  receive  as  the  compensation  for  so 
many  privations  and  dangers  are  in  general  dissipated  with 
a  most  careless  indifference  to  future  wants,  and  when  at 
an  end,  they  very  contentedly  renew  the  same  series  of 
toils  to  obtain  a  fresh  supply.  Three  leagues  from  La 
Chine  is  the  village  of  Pointe  Claire,  situated  on  a  point 
of  land  of  the  same  name ;  it  contains  from  90  to  100 
houses,  built  with  regularity,  and  forming  small  streets 
that  cross  the  main  road  at  right  angles.  There  is  a  neat 
parish  church,  a  parsonage- house;  and  one  or  two  tolerable 
good  houses  for  the  accommodation  of  travellers.  The 
local  beauties  of  this  place  can  boast  of  many  attractions, 
being  surrounded  by  extensive  orchards,  arid  excellent 
gardens.  About  three  leagues  eastward  of  Montreal  is 
Pointe-au-Tremble,  a  neat  village  of  fifty  houses,  a  church, 
chapel,  and  a  parsonage-house:  The  main  road  to  Quebec 
passes  through  this  place,  which  always  brings  to  it  a  constant 
succession  of  travellers,  for  whose  reception  there  are  some 
inns,  where  accommodation,  in  all  the  principal  requisites, 
is  to  be  obtained.  These  are  the  only  villages  on  the 
island;  but  in  every  parish  there  is  a  great  number  of  good 
houses  scattered  about,  though  but  few  are  placed  close 
together ;  they  are  mostly  built  of  stone,  as  that  material  is 
to  be  had  every  where  in  great  abundance.  The  city  of 
Montreal  is  within  this  seigniory ;  it  stands  on  the  south 
side  of  the  island,  in  lat.  45°.  31'  N.  and  73°.  35'  W. :  the 
second  of  the  province  in  point  of  size,  but  with  respect  to 
situation,  local  advantages,  and  superiority  of  climate,  it  is 
undoubtedly  unrivalled  by  Quebec  itself*. 


*  Montreal,  in  1818,  was  found  to  contain  25,000  inhabitants. 
Quebec  does  not  contain  so  many  by  some  thousands. — R.  G. 


598  LOWER    CANADA. 

ISLE  JESUS  is  in  the  county  of  Effingham,  comprehend- 
ing the  whole  of  the  island,  in  length  twenty-one  miles, 
and  six  at  its  greatest  breadth,  lying  north-west  of  that  of 
Montreal,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  the  Riviere  des 
Prairies,  and  from  the  main  land  by  the  Riviere  St.  Jean 
or  Jesus.     The  land  is   every  where  level,  rich,  and  well 
cultivated:    on  the  south-east  side,   bordering  the  river, 
there  are  some  excellent  pasturages,  and  very  fine  meadows ; 
the  other  parts  produce  grain,  vegetables,  and  fruits  in 
great  perfection  and  abundance.     From  almost  every  cor- 
ner of  it  being  turned  to  agricultural  uses,  there  is  very 
little  wood  remaining,   except  what  is  left  for  ornament  on 
the  different  farms.     There  is  one  road  that  goes  entirely 
round  the  island,  and  one  that  runs  through  the  middle 
lengthways ;  these  are  connected  by  others  that  open  an 
easy  communication  between  every  part  of  it.     Around  the 
island  are  several  corn  and  saw-mills  on  the  two  large  rivers ;' 
in  the  interior  there  is  no  stream  of  sufficient  force  to  work 
either.     About  midway  of  the   Riviere  des  Prairies  is  the 
strong  rapid  called  the  Sault  an  Recollet.     The  rafts  of 
timber  that  are  brought  down  the  Ottawa  from  the  upper 
townships  descend  this  river  into  the   Saint  Lawrence  at 
the  Bout   de  1'Isle.      The    communication  between  Isle 
Jesus,  and  the  islands  of  Montreal  and   Bizare,    and  the 
main  land,  is  kept  up  by  several  ferries  in  convenient  situ- 
ations, for  maintaining  a  continual  and  sure  intercourse. 


TERREBCTNNE.  The  soil  towards  the  lower  part  is  as 
rich  and  luxuriant  as  any  within  the  province ;  about  Des- 
plaines  it  is  generally  of  a  first  rate  quality,  but  the  remote 
parts  are  mountainous,  with  a  rough  gravelly  or  stony  soil. 
The  rivers  Achigan  and  Mascouche,  with  three  or  four 
rivulets,  water  it  most  completely.  The  high  lands  produce 
abundance  of  beech,  maple,  birch,  and  elm  timber ;  in  some 


SEIGNIORIES.  599 

few  places  that  lie  low  and  wet  there  are  cedars  and  spruce 
firs :  full  two-thirds  of  this  property  is  conceded,  with  the 
greatest  number  of  the  lots,  in  as  respectable  a  state  of 
cultivation  as  any  in  the  district,  and  extremely  productive 
in  wheat,  barley,  and  other  grains.  The  front  along  the 
river  is  particularly  well  settled,  and  in  this  tract  there  is 
every  appearance  of  comfort,  and  even  affluence,  among 
the  tenantry,  The  different  streams  turn  some  very  good 
grist  and  saw-mills,  but  those  distinguished  by  the  name  of 
the  Terrebonne  mills  are,  without  exception,  the  most  com- 
plete and  best  constructed  of  any  in  the  country ;  they 
were  very  much  improved  by  the  late  proprietor,  who  used 
every  exertion,  and  disregarded  expence,  to  render  them 
of  general  utility  to  this  part  of  the  district.  His  desire  of 
promoting  the  interest  of  the  labouring  part  of  the  commu- 
nity has  fully  succeeded.  Some  of  the  houses,  and  part 
of  the  machinery  were  destroyed  by  fire  a  few  years  ago ; 
but  they  were  immediately  rebuilt,  and  placed  in  their 
former  state  by  the  present  occupier,  Henry  M'Kenzie, 
Esq.  A  carding  machine  and  fulling-mill  have  also  been 
introduced,  which  are  found  of  great  service,  where  the 
poor  people,  as  is  the  case  in  this  country,  depend  much 
upon  the  home-made  woollen  cloths  for  their  common 
wear.  The  village  of  Terrebonne  is  pleasantly  situated 
on  a  projecting  point  of  land,  having  several  beautiful 
islands  in  front,  which,  by  their  varied  and  romantic  sce- 
nery, greatly  contribute  to  embellish  the  prospect.  It  con- 
tains about  150  well-built  houses  of  wood  and  stone,  be- 
sides the  church  and  parsonage-house,  the  seignorial-house, 
and  the  mansion  of  Roderick  M'Kenzie,  Esq.  which  is 
worthy  of  remark  for  the  elegance  of  its  construction ;  in- 
deed there  are  several  houses  in  a  very  superior  style  to  be 
found  in  this  village,  it  being  a  favoured  spot,  where  many 
gentlemen,  who  have  realized  large  fortunes  in  the  north* 
west  company  fur  trade,  retire  to  enjoy  the  comforts  and 


600  LOWER    CANADA. 

luxuries  of  private  life.  It  is  also  a  place  of  some  traffic,  oc- 
casioned by  the  continued  influx  of  persons  bringing  grain 
to  the  mills  from  distant  parts,  and  by  the  large  exports  of 
flour  that  annually  take  place;  in  consequence  many  of  the 
residents  are  traders  and  artisans,  whese  commercial  con- 
cerns impose  a  degree  of  consequence  upon  the  village. 
The  population  is  sufficiently  great  to  give  a  maintenance 
to  a  schoolmaster  for  educating  the  youth. 

MILLE  ISLES  forms  two  distinct  seigniories,  called  Du 
Chene  and  Blainville.  The  land  within  the  grant  of  Mille 
Isles  is,  for  the  most  part,  a  good,  rich,  and  productive 
soil  of  different  compositions,  very  eligible  for  raising  all 
the  various  sorts  of  grain  and  other  productions  usual  in 
this  part  of  the  province.  The  prevailing  sorts  of  timber 
are  beech,  ash,  maple,  and  some  oak.  The  greatest  part 
of  this  property  is  conceded,  and  most  of  the  lots  settled 
upon  by  an  industrious  tenantry.  At  the  mouth  of  Riviere 
du  Chene  is  the  pleasant  well-built  village  of  St.  Eustache, 
containing  from  80  to  90  houses,  a  handsome  church,  and 
parsonage-house. 

LAC  DES  DEUX  MONTAGNES.  Through  the  whole  of 
this  tract  the  soil  is  very  favourable,  in  many  parts  consist- 
ing of  a  fine  strong  loam,  with  a  mixture  of  rich  black 
earth,  that  is  found  to  contain  a  large  share  of  fertile  pro- 
perties. The  surface  is  uneven,  but  never  varies  into  pre- 
judicial extremes  :  bordering  on  the  lake,  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  Indian  village,  it  is  of  a  moderate  height,  from  thence 
westward  to  the  Eboulis  it  gradually  sinks  into  a  flat,  from 
which  it  rises  again  near  the  boundary  of  Argenteuil : 
eastward  of  the  village,  nearly  to  the  seigniory  of  Mille 
Isles,  runs  a  low  heath,  having  a  large  bay  on  one  side  of 
it ;  at  a  short  distance  from  the  front  are  two  conspicuous 
mountains  that  give  the  name  to  both  seigniory  and  lake ; 


SEIGNIORIES.  601 

one  of  them  is  called  Mount  Calvart,  on  whose  summit  are 
the  remains  of  some  buildings,  which  have  long  borne  the 
appellation  of  the  Seven  Chapels.  Towards  the  interior 
the  ground  declines  below  the  level  of  the  front ;  proceed- 
ing further  to  the  rear,  there  are  some  ranges  of  heights 
that  assume  rather  a  mountainous  character,  but  in  the 
spaces  between  them  are  many  excellent  situations  for 
settlements.  It  is  very  well  watered.  Oak  and  pine  tim- 
ber are  found  in  some  places,  but  beech,  maple,  birch,  and 
other  inferior  kinds  are  plentiful  in  the  woods*  The  Indian 
village  is  agreeably  seated  on  a  point  of  land  projecting 
into  the  lake,  and  consists  of  about  60  houses,  a  church, 
and  a  parsonage-house,  where  a  missionary  always  resides, 
for  the  purpose  of  superintending  and  instructing  the  inha- 
bitants in  the  doctrines  of  the  Christian  religion.  The 
Indians  of  this  village  are  the  descendants  of  a  tribe  that 
formerly  inhabited,  or  rather  frequented,  the  lands  border- 
ing upon  Lake  Huron,  but  being  engaged  in  one  of  the 
wars  that  so  frequently  wasted  whole  nations  of  these  wan- 
derers, they  were  surprised  by  the  vigilance  of  their  ene- 
mies, and  nearly  exterminated ;  the  few  who  did  survive 
the  massacre  effected  their  escape  to  the  eastward,  and 
their  progeny  now  occupies  two  or  three  small  villages  in 
different  parts  of  the  province.  Those  of  the  village  of  the 
Two  Mountains  are  become  civilized,  and  have  adopted 
many  of  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Canadians  who 
reside  in  their  vicinity,  and  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the 
French  language,  which  they  make  use  of  fluently  enough : 
they  are  quiet  and  inoffensive  in  all  their  modes  of  life, 
preserving  the  greatest  harmony  among  themselves,  and 
civility  towards  the  other  inhabitants.  They  place  an  im- 
plicit confidence  in  the  resident  minister,  whose  influence 
over  them  is  unbounded.  Some  lands  are  assigned  to 
them  near  their  village,  which  they  cultivate  with  wheat, 
Indian  corn,  and  other  grain;  of  late  years  they  have  also 


602  LOWER   CANADA. 

planted  potatoes  in  considerable  quantities :  from  these 
sources,  increased  by  the  produce  of  the  chase,  which  a 
part  of  the  men  follow  during  the  winter  season,  a  subsist- 
ence is  derived,  that  apparently  they  enjoy  with  some  of 
the  comforts  of  civilization. 

ARGENTEUIL  is  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Ottawa,  in 
the  county  of  York.  It  adjoins  the  seigniory  of  the  Lac 
des  deux  Montagues  on  the  eastward,  the  township  of 
Chatham  on  the  westward,  and  a  tract  of  waste  crown 
lands  on  the  northward ;  its  front  extends  two  leagues  along 
the  river,  by  four  in  depth.  It  was  granted  March  7, 
1725,  to  Mons.  Dailiebout.  The  present  proprietor  is  Sir 
John  Johnson,  Bart.  Perhaps  through  all  the  upper  part 
of  the  district  of  Montreal,  no  tract  of  equal  extent  will  be 
found  of  greater  fertility,  or  possessing  more  capabilities  of 
being  converted  within  a  few  years  into  a  most  valuable 
property.  The  land  is  luxuriantly  rich  in  nearly  every 
part  of  it,  while  the  different  species  of  soils  are  so  well 
varied  as  to  afford  undeniable  situations  for  raising  abun- 
dant crops  of  every  kind.  The  lower  part,  bordering  on 
the  Ottawa,  is  tolerably  well  cleared  of  wood,  where  are 
large  patches  of  fine  meadow  and  pastures ;  from  hence 
the  ground  rises  with  a  gradual  ascent  towards  the  rear. 
In  the  back  parts  the  woods  run  to  a  great  extent,  and 
yield  timber  of  the  different  kinds  of  first  rate  size  and 
goodness,  which  have  hitherto  been  very  little  thinned  by 
the  labours  of  the  woodman.  The  settlements  that  are  al- 
ready formed  in  Argenteuil  hardly  amount  to  a  third  part 
of  the  whole ;  the  remainder,  however,  presents  many 
temptations  to  agricultural  speculation.  Of  the  present 
concessions,  some  are  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  Ottawa, 
where  they  seem  to  be  the  most  numerous,  as  well  as  rather 
the  best  cultivated ;  others  on  the  Riviere  Rouge ;  in  a 
range  between  it  and  Riviere  du  Nord ;  and  along  both 


SEIGNIORIES.  603 

banks  of  the  latter:  all  shewing  strong  indications  of  a 
thriving  industry  in  their  occupiers.  There  are  two  gristr 
mills,  two  saw-mills,  and  a  paper-mill,  Ihe  only  one  I  be- 
lieve in  the  province,  where  a  large  manufacture  of  that 
article  in  all  its  different  qualities  is  carried  on  with  much 
success,  under  the  direction  of  the  proprietor,  Mr.  Brown, 
of  Montreal. 

LA  PETITE  NATION  was  granted  May  16th,  1674,  to 
Messire  Francois  de  Laval,  Bishop  of  Petree,  the  first 
Bishop  of  Quebec.  It  is  now  the  property  of  I.  Papineau, 
Esq.  The  whole  of  this  grant,  with  the  exception  of  a 
small  spot,  remains  in  a  state  of  woodland;  recently, 
however,  the  present  proprietor,  a  gentleman  of  Montreal, 
and  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  provincial  parliament, 
has  retired  to  it  with  an  intention  to  commence  a  plan  of 
improvement,  that,  if  persevered  in,  will  be  likely  to 
realize  many  of  the  advantages  that  its  situation  and  other 
favourable  contingencies  hold  forth  the  promise  of.  The 
Ottawa  indents  the  front  by  several  bays,  and  large  ponds, 
towards  which  the  land  is^low,  but  of  excellent  quality, 
where  there  are  ranges  of  soil  stretching  a  great  distance 
to  the  interior,  fit  for  the  cultiva'ion  of  every  species  of 
grain,  hemp,  flax,  and  grasses  of  all  descriptions.  On  the 
margin  of  the  rivers,  large  tracts  of  fine  natural  meadows 
and  pastures  at  present  enrich  only  the  earth  with  their  ex- 
uberant plenty.  The  inlets  and  ponds  abound  with  fish  in 
great  variety,  and  the  neighbouring  grounds  with  game, 
duck,  teal,  and  other  wild  fowl,  in  great  quantities.  Pe- 
netrating deeper  into  the  seigniory,  the  land  has  a  gradual 
ascent,  and  is  clothed  with  timber  of  the  best  kinds;  the 
oak  is  of  superior  quality,  particularly  some  of  the  largest 
dimensions,  fit  for  ship-building.  The  main  ridge  of  moun- 
tains, that  runs  a  westerly  course  from  Quebec  imtil  it 
falls  upon  the  Ottawa,  crosses  La  Petite  Nation  about  the 

4 


t)04  LOWER   CANADA. 

middle;  beyond  this  intersection  the  remainder  of  the 
grant  has  been  only  partially  explored,  but  the  quality  of 
the  part  that  has  been  observed  is  mnch  inferior  to 
that  of  the  south ;  although  the  various  sorts  of  timber 
appear  to  retain  their  superiority,  or  at  any  rate  it  is  but 
very  little  diminished.  From  the  range  of  heights,  and  the 
upper  lands,  several  small  streams  have  their  sources, 
from  whence,  in  various  directions,  they  water  the  valleys 
in  their  way  to  the  Grand  River,  but  they  are  too  inconside- 
rable for  other  purposes  than  irrigation,  and  working  of 
mills. 


TOWNSHIPS. 

CHATHAM  is  situated  on  the  north  side  of  the  Ottawa 

River,  in  the  county  of  York,  bounded  on  the  east  by  the 

seigniory  of  Argenteuil,  on  the  west  by  Grenville,  and  in 

the  rear  by  Wentworth.     It  has  been  surveyed,   divided 

into  farm  lots,  and  all  granted.     Colonel  Robertson,  who 

obtained  the  largest  proportion  of  any  person  therein,  has 

been  the  active  promoter  of  an  extensive  settlement  along 

the  river,  where  the  soil  is  well  varied  and  good,  fit  for 

grain,  hemp,  flax,  or  indeed  most  other  productions,  and 

which  is   also  the  case  with  the  greatest  portion  of  the 

township.     There  are  also  many  fine  tracts  of  natural 

meadow,  and  some  rich  pastures.      In  the  rear  the  surface 

is  broken  and  uneven,   the  land  inferior  in  quality,  and 

choked  with  rocks,  and  other  impediments  to  cultivation. 

The  timber,  in  general,  is  of  the  best  sorts,  with  much 

valuable  pine  and  oak,  fit  for  naval  purposes.     By  the  side 

of  the  Ottawa  there  is  a  good  road,  that  is  the  main  route 

from  Montreal  to  the  upper  townships  on  the  bank  of  that 

river.     The  Riviere  du  Nord  and  several  smaller  streams 

water  it;  by  the  first-mentioned,  the  timber  felled  in  this 

and  some  of  the  adjoining  townships  is  floated  down  to  the 


TOWNSHIPS.  605 

Ottawa.     In  front  of  the  township  are  some  small  islands, 
that,  in  the  intervals  between  them,  form  several  rapids. 

WENT  WORTH  is  situated  in  the  rear  of  Chatham,  and 
has  the  full  dimensions  of  an  inland  township,  about  one 
quarter  of  which  is  subdivided  and  granted.  The  greater 
part  of  this  tract  is  mountainous  and  rocky,  very  inappli- 
cable to  arable  purposes  ;  but  on  the  three  first  ranges,  all 
that  has  hitherto  been  surveyed,  the  land  is  found  to  be  of  a 
tolerable  good  quality,  but  not  any  part  of  it  is  yet  settled 
upon.  Although  there  are  no  very  strong  inducements  to 
attempt  cultivation,  this  township  produces  most  excellent 
timber  for  naval  purposes,  in  great  abundance,  with  the 
advantage  of  easy  conveyance  by  the  Riviere  du  Nord,  by 
which  it  is  watered,  besides  several  other  streams  and 
small  lakes. 

GRENVILLE,  including  an  additional  parcel  of  land 
added  thereto  since  the  original  grant,  is  the  second  town- 
ship to  the  westward  on  the  Ottawa  River,  situated 
between  the  seigniory  of  La  Petite  Nation  and  Chatham, 
and  bounded  in  the  rear  by  unsurveyed  lands  of  the  town- 
ship of  Harrington.  In  the  nature  of  the  soil,  the  species 
and  quality  of  the  timber,  it  greatly  resembles  Chatham. 
A  grant  of  large  extent  has  been  made  to  Archibald 
M'Millan  and  others,  emigrants  from  Scotland,  but  very 
little  of  it  is  at  present  under  culture. 


LOCHABER,  (Suffolk)  on  the  north  side  of  the  Ottawa 
River,  between  the  seigniory  of  La  Petite  Nation  and  the 
township  of  Buckingham,  in  the  county  of  York,  has  been 
partly  surveyed ;  thirteen  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
one  acres  were  granted  in  the  year  1807,  to  Archibald 
M'Millan  and  others,  emigrants  from  Scotland  ;  of  this 
portion  .very  little  has  been  yet  cultivated.  Along  the 


606  LOWER   CANADA. 

front,  the  river  forms  several  deep  bays,  in  which  direction 
the  land  is  so  low,  that  it  is  frequently  overflowed  ;  but  if 
the  settlements  should  become  more  numerous,  embank- 
ments might  be  raised  to  repress  the  incursion  of  the 
waters ;  this  part  would  then  become  good  meadow,  and  a 
short  distance  towards  the  interior,  much  of  it  would  be 
good  arable.  Proceeding  to  the  rear,  the  land  is  broken 
and  rugged  up  to  the  ridge  of  mountains,  beyond  which 
there  is  nothing  at  all  improvable,  at  least  in  their  vicinity. 
Much  of  the  timber  within  this  trac%  both  oak  and  pine, 
is  fit  for  naval  purposes.  Several  rivers  and  streams  wind 
through  the  township  ;  neither  of  the  former  are  navigable 
for  boats,  though  timber  may  be  floated  down  them  to  the 
Ottawa,  which  here  expands  greatly  in  breadth,  and  has 
several  islands  in  it  that  are  all  well  covered  with  wood :  the 
largest  of  them  is  a  mile  long,  and  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  broad. 

BUCKINGHAM,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Ottawa,  in  the 
county  of  York,  joins  Lochaber ;  four  ranges  of  it  have 
been  surveyed,  and  little  more  than  one  quarter  granted. 
Bordering  the  river  the  land  is  low,  and  from  several  large 
bays  and  ponds  that  run  a  great  way  into  it ,  is  frequently 
overflowed;  but  when  that  is  not  the  case,  there  is  some 
excellent  meadow  land,  and  also  some  that  is  tolerably 
good  for  other  purposes.  In  the  rear  the  soil  is  but  indif- 
ferent ;  in  places,  so  uneven  and  stony  as  to  be  fit  for  no 
sort  of  tillage.  It  is  watered  by  several  small  streams,  de- 
scending from  the  rear  into  the  Ottawa.  A  few  families 
have  settled  on  convenient  spots  in  front  of  the  township, 
and  pursue  their  agricultural  labours  with  success,  and  fa- 
vourable prospects  of  improvement. 


TEMPLETON    is  the    next   township  to   Buckingham : 
about   one    half  thereof  has  been  granted  to   Archibald 


TOWNSHIPS.  607  ' 

M'Millan  and  others,  his  associates,  but  as  yet  very  few 
persons  have  settled  upon  it.  The  land  approaching-  the 
Ottawa  is  rather  low,  but  the  soil  tolerably  good  for  the 
production  of  most  species  of  grain,  and  many  of  the  most 
useful  succulents ;  the  back  parts  are  not  much  inferior  to 
the  front.  The  timber  is  mostly  beech,  maple,  bass  wood, 
pine,  and  some  oak,  with  cedar  and  hemlock  on  the  lower 
grounds.  It  is  well  watered  by  the  River  Gatineau,  the 
Riviere  Blanche,  and  some  smaller  streams. 

HULL  joins  Templeton  on  the  west.  In  1806  one  quar- 
ter of  this  township  was  surveyed  and  granted  to  Philemon 
Wright,  and  his  associates.  This  portion  is  situated  on  a 
large  bend,  or  turn  of  the  Ottawa,  and  as  the  mountains 
here  abut  upon  the  river,  and  the  land  behind  them  not 
being  arable,  the  whole  of  it  was  laid  out  along  the  front. 
The  soil  is  of  a  fair  medium  quality,  fit  for  all  the  farmer's 
general  purposes:  what  part  of  it  is  cultivated  produces 
very  good  crops  of  all  kinds  of  grain,  &c.  About  thirty 
families  are  settled  here,  and  have  their  farms  in  a  very  re- 
spectable state  of  cultivation  and  progressive  improvement. 
The  timber  is,  for  the  most  part,  of  the  best  sort,  the  oak 
fit  for  naval  purposes,  and  much  of  the  pine  for  masts  of 
large  dimensions.  Mr.  Wright,  as  the  head  of  the  town- 
ship, has  been  indefatigable  in  promoting  the  increase  and 
prosperity  of  this  infant  settlement.  In  viewing  the  pro- 
gress already  made,  the  greatest  encomiums  will  be  called 
forth  for  the  manner  in  which,  by  his  own  example  and  en- 
couragement, he  has  so  essentially  promoted  it,  and  for 
settling  upon  the  lands  himself.  He  carries  on  the  timber 
trade  to  a  great  extent,  and  a  large  manufactory  of  pot 
and  pearl  ashes ;  he  has  established  a  school,  erected  a 
meeting-house,  and  adopted  various  means  to  excite  the 
industry,  and  secure  comfort  and  happiness  to  all  classes 
of  his  little  society.  His  own  habitation  is  pleasantly 


608  LOWER   CANADA. 

situated  at  the  east  end  of  the  township,  on  the  bank  of  the 
Ottawa ;  close  by  it  there  is  a  short  portage,  and  nearly 
fronting  it  are  some  small  islands  that  greatly  obstruct  and 
break  the  current  of  the  river;  on  the  opposite  side  a  fall, 
twenty-six  feet  high,  forms  an  agreeable  object  in  the  pros- 
pect ;  a  little  above  this  place  is  a  reef  of  rocks,  stretching 
nearly  across  the  river,  and  the  falls  of  La  Petite  Chaudiere. 
The  townships  on  the  Ottawa  abounding  with  timber  of 
the  best  growth,  either  for  ship-building,  masting,  plank- 
ing, or  staves,  it  may  be  worth  \vhile  to  remark,  that  a 
very  great  proportion  of  that  trade  has  been  furnished 
from  them  to  Montreal  and  Quebec ;  not  from  those  on 
the  north  side  only,  but  vast  quantities  have  been  supplied 
from  those  on  the  south,  in  the  Upper  Province,  and  the 
rafts  of  it  brought  down  the  rivers  Rideau  and  Petite 
Nation,  into  the  Ottawa.  From  the  former,  a  road  lead- 
ing to  the  settlements  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Kingston 
will,  in  a  short  period,  from  the  increasing  population  and 
consequence  of  that  district,  become  of  great  necessity. 
It  is  an  object,  therefore,  worthy  the  attention  of  the  go- 
vernment of  that  province,  to  give  every  encouragement  to 
facilitate  its  immediate  formation :  when  completed,  a 
communication  from  the  back  townships  to  Montreal  will 
be  opened,  more  direct  and  much  shorter  than  the  present 
one,  for  the  conveyance  of  their  produce  to  a  certain 
market. 


EARDLEY  and  ONSLOW  are  the  two  last  townships  on 
the  Ottawa  that  have  been  surveyed,  1815,  and  partial 
grants  made  therein,  although  several  others  are  projected, 
and  names  given  to  them.  The  front  of  both  of  them  ex- 
tends along  Lake  Chaudiere,  or  Kettle  Lake.  The  lands 
that  have  been  examined  in  the  former  are  found  to  be  of  a 
favourable  description;  many  parts  suitable  both  for  hemp 
and  flax,  as  well  as  grain,  but  no  settlements  have  been  yet 


TOWNSHIPS.  609 

established  upon  them.  The  main  westerly  ranges  of 
mountains  terminate  upon  the  river  hereabouts.  In  the 
latter  township,  the  first  range,  and  part  of  the  second,  are 
an  almost  continued  ledge  of  flat  rocks,  with  scarce  any 
soil  upon  them,  except  only  a  very  few  lots  that  have  been 
granted ;  the  third  and  fourth  ranges  appear  to  be  very 
good  land,  that  would  soon  become  profitable  with  careful 
culture ;  but  the  fifth  and  sixth  are  poor  and  swampy,  not 
worth  the  trouble  of  draining,  and  covered  with  hemlock, 
and  other  woods  of  small  value.  At  the  west  end  of  this 
township  is  one  of  the  many  rapids  of  the  Ottawa,  called 
the  Rapide  des  Chats. 

NEWTON,  in  the  county  of  York,  lying  oetween  the 
seigniories  of  Rigaud,  Soulange,  and  New  Longeuil,  is  of 
an  irregular  figure,  and  very  advantageously  situated, 
contiguous  to  the  settlements  in  the  Upper  Province. 
On  the  western  side  the  land  is  of  a  very  superior  quality, 
and  will  produce  all  sorts  of  grain  ;  many  parts  also  might 
be  employed  to  great  advantage  in  growing  hemp  and  flax. 
The  eastern  side  is  much  lower,  inclining  here  and  there 
for  short  distances  to  be  marshy :  there  is,  however,  no 
actual  swamp  ;  and  if  the  low  grounds,  that  are  rather  wet, 
were  carefully  ditched  and  drained,  they  would  prove  most 
excellent  land,  and  furnish  luxuriant  meadow  and  pasture, 
as  well  as  good  arable.  On  the  most  elevated  parts,  the 
principal  timber  is  maple,  beech,  and  birch ;  on  the  others, 
cedar,  red  spruce,  alder,  and  hemlock.  As  the  grants  in 
this  township  are  all  recent,  only  a  few  of  the  lots  are  yet 
cultivated,  but  the  goodness  of  situation,  and  several  other 
local  advantages,  are  likely  soon  to  induce  settlers  in  much 
greater  numbers.  The  greatest  landholders  are  the  Ho- 
nourable A.  C.  de  Lotbiniere,  Saveuse  de  Beaujeu,  Esq. 
and  Mr.  John  M'Nider. 

R  R 


STATISTICAL 

Composed  of   Extracts  from   Township    Reports  of    the 


'  WAGES  ok  

£   , 

.        £ 

Names  of 
Townships. 

When  Settled. 

Inhabited  Houses. 

No.  of  People. 

No.  of  Churches 
Meeting-Houses 

No.  of  Preachers. 

"3 

Is 

•si 

c-2 
z 

No.  of  Schools. 

Fees  per  Quarter. 

No.  of  Stores. 

No.  of  Taverns. 

No.  of  Grist  Mills 

No.  of  Saw  Mill*. 

*i 

1S 

Price  of  Lime  pet 
bushel. 

(Blacksmiths  per 
mon.  and  day. 

Masons  per  day. 

Carpenters  p.  day 

(Common  Laboure 
per  annum. 

Haldi- 

111  anil  .  . 

1797 

.. 

.. 

1 

.. 

,J 

4 

s.    d. 
12     6 

5 

4 

S 

4 

«.   d. 
35    0 

a.     d. 

\     3 

L.              ».: 

5      0 

*.  rf 
7  6 

*.rf. 
63 

L.     s. 

Tburlow 

1786 

240 

1-200 

.. 

., 

9 

4 

10    0 

16 

7 

4 

6 

30    0 

1     8 

5      0 

6  S 

6  S    SO    0 

Sophias- 

burg  .. 

1790 

101 

- 

0 

" 

1 

5 

19    6 

4 

7 

6_ 

,6 

•"i^. 

37    6 

0    6i 

Pr".  D. 

8  9 

89 

31     1 

Hallowell 

.. 

.. 

.. 

1M 

1Q. 

iQ- 

2 

4 

13    9 

9 

4 

4 

6 

97    6 

0    9 

5.    d. 
S      9 

8  9 

89 

31     1 

Atlolplms- 

1  M 

town  .. 

178* 

•• 

1Q. 

•• 

0 

3 

•• 

1 

2 

0 

6 

35    0 

1    0 

T      6 

7  6 

7  6 

85    0 

Ernest- 

1  E. 

town  .. 

1784 

.. 

2450 

1  M 

1  M. 

3 

14 

10    0 

9 

31 

5 

13 

33    9 

o   74 

7  6 

7  6 

95    0 

1L. 

IE 

IE. 

Kingston 

1783 

550 

2850 

\R. 

IP. 

4 

8 

97    6 

mm 

- 

1 

3 

30    0 

1     0 

.. 

.. 

86 

97    0 

2M. 

2M 

Lansdown 

1788 

36 

205 

.*. 

.. 

0 

1 

.. 

I 

3 

.. 

1 

30    0 

.. 

.. 

7  6 

7  6 

33  16 

Wolford 

1797 

55 

320 

4 

Charlot- 

1  R 

tenburgh 

178* 

600 

2500 

3  P. 
1R. 

2R. 

2 

12 

•• 

12 

18 

4 

6 

30         0     It 

8      1 

S  S 

7  € 

30  10 

Totals 

.. 

1489 

95*25 

10 

9 

15 

59 

101     3 

57 

66 

29 

5* 

278    < 

.7     5* 

31      1C 

70  (1 

76  0  233     - 

Averag- 

ed by 

6 

6 

7 

g 

g 

4 

9 

10 

8 

*  " 

' 

Averages 

-- 

247 

1557 

-• 

-• 

14    6 

" 

•• 

-- 

30  1 

"4 

7     11 

7  0 

7  7    29     3 

Composed  of  Extracts  from  Township  Reports 


Sandwich 

1750 

200 

1000 

,, 

2  R. 
1  F. 

9 

3 

13 

8 

9 

0 

45    0 

P.day 

10 

10  o 

31     5 

Maiden 

1784 

10S 

675 

IH. 

1  R. 

2 

3 

20 

12 

6 

2 

.. 

40 

1     3 

10 

10 

10  0 

30    0 

Raleigh 

179-2 

53 

273 

0 

1M. 

0 

I 

15 

5 

1 

2 

.. 

37    6 

.. 

5 

10 

5     7 

-- 

Dover.frr. 

179* 

133 

79H 

.. 

1 

4 

15 

7 

4 

2 

1 

35    0 

7     6 

10 

7     6 

30    0 

I'otals 

.. 

44 

I7i« 

i 

b 

5 

II 

50 

37 

IS 

15 

1 

1*7     6 

1     3 

*2    6 

40 

Srf  1 

01     b 

Averag- 
ed by 

4 

4 

3 

4 

3 

4 

4 

| 

Average, 

31    10 

•• 

10 

8      6 

M     8 

In  Columns  five  and  «ix,  E.  stands  for  Episcopal ;  Q.  for  Quaker; 


TABLE, 

Newcastle,  Midland,    Johnstown,    and  Eastern  Districts. 


WAGL:S  OF 

|| 

PRICES  OF  LIVE  STOCK,    fe 

2 

m 

™ 

-  — 

E 

E 

Common  Labourers 
per  Winter  Montli. 

Common  Labourers 
per  Summer  Mon 

Common  Labourers. 
perdayinHarve§t. 

Women's  Wages, 
per  week. 

1 

g«SS 

o 

A  Work  Horse. 

1 

< 

An  Ox. 

3 
•t 

ttuantity  of  Wool  r 
I  Sheep. 

Price  of  Wool  per 

Produce  of  Wheat 
Bushels,  per  Am 

An  Ox  will  gain  in 
Summer's  run. 

S. 

I 

"S 
|s 

Price  of  Cheese,  p 
Ib. 

Price  of  Land  per  Ac 
•at  first. 

Price  of  Land  per  Ac 
now. 

*.    (t. 

s.    d. 

a.  d. 

s.  d. 

L.   8. 

L.    s. 

L.     s.  L.     s.\  s.    d. 

tb. 

s.    d. 

K 

*.  d. 

*.  d.  s.  d. 

*.   d. 

" 

70    0 

5  0 

5  0 

12  10 

15    0 

5    0 

10    0    15    0 

S 

9    6 

25 

-. 

I  0 

074 

6  0 

19     6 

40    0 

67     6 

6  3 

5  0 

11     6 

20    0 

5     10 

10    0 

12    6 

3 

9    9 

20 

350 

1  14 

OSJ 

4  0 

32    0 

47    6 

80    0 

» 

5  6 

18  15 

5      0 

10    0 

IS    6 

24 

2    6 

224 

" 

1  0 

074 

1  0 

20    0 

45    0 

65    0 

6  3 

57 

•• 

17  10 

5    10 

9    7 

17    6 

3* 

9    6 

294 

60 

1  8 

0  8 

3  9 

33    6 

40    0 

56    0 

ft  0 

5  0 

19  10 

•• 

•• 

" 

11    0 

34 

1    6 

30 

250 

1  0 

06| 

1  0 

80    0 

37    6 

50    0 

50 

4  0 

12  10 

15    0 

5      0 

9  10 

12    6 

3 

2    0 

17J 

112 

1  1 

074 

•• 

35    0 

^__ 

40    0 

55    0 

50 

6  3 

16  17 

IS  10 

5      0 

6    0 

15    0 

si 

2    6 

22J 

112 

1  6 

074 

.. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

5  0 

5  0 

18  15 

15    0 

6     15 

10    7 

12    6 

SJ 

2    S 

.. 

.. 

.. 

.. 

0  6 

14    3 

35    0 

55    0 

6  0 

&  0 

SO     0 

1ft    0 

5      0 

8    0 

.. 

3 

3    6 

234 

336 

M 

1  3 

6    0 

47    6 

65    0 

40 

6  0 

20     0 

12  10 

5      5 

10    0 

16     3 

54 

1  10 

17J 

» 

1  li 

064 

30 

25    0 

S32    6 

562     6 

46  6 

51  4 

124     7 

142    547      0 

85    4 

124    9 

33 

23  10 

190 

1230 

9  1 

5  0 

196 

346     2 

8 

9 

9 

10 

8 

9 

9 

9 

9 

10 

10 

9 

• 

8 

8 

8 

9 

41     6 

62     6 

&  2 

5  1 

15  11 

15  16 

5      4 

9    9 

13  10 

3i 

2     4 

81 

203 

11J 

074 

3  5 

27     4 

3 

of  the  Western  District. 


_ 

45  0 

67  6 

5  7 

6  1 

12  10 

12  10 

5  0 

7  10 

20  0 

*i 

3  6 

120 

1  10 

I  3 

13  6 

60  0 

75  0 

5  0 

7  6 

25  0 

16  0 

6  0 

7  0 

17  6 

34 

3  s]  27^ 

.. 

L  3 

I  3 

1  6 

25  0 

50  0 

62  6 

5  0 

6  3 

24  0 

14  8 

5  8 

.. 

20  0 

2.1 

2  6 

20 

.. 

1  s 

1  3 

.. 

.. 

40  e 

7O  (I 

5  0 

5  1 

.. 

14  0 

6  5 

10  0 

17  6 

SJ 

3  1 

25 

200 

1  3 

1  3 

2  6 

90  0 

185  0 

375  (> 

30*7 

35  5 

61  10 

66  18 

93  13|  24  10 

76  0 

13 

10  4  72J 

330 

j  -; 

5  0;*  0 

57  6 

4 

4 

4 

4 

3 

4 

4 

3 

4 

4 

4 

S 

2 

4 

is 

3 

46  S 

68  9 

&  3 

6  4 

20  10 

14  4 

5  13 

8  S 

18  9 

4 

2  7 

24 

160 

1  5 

1  3.3  0 

19  3 

M.  tor  Btothodtet ;  R.  for  Roman  Catholic',  L.  for  Lutheran,  and  P,  for  Presbyterian, 

R  R   2 


612  GENERAL    SUMMARY,    &C, 


GENERAL  SUMMARY,  &c. 


HAVING  produced  the  whole  regular  informa- 
tion concerning  Upper  Canada,  which  the  inhabit- 
ants put  into  my  hands,  and  having  from  place  to 
place  introduced  SUMMARIES  of  such  facts  and 
opinions  as  seemed  of  most  consequence  to  bear  in 
mind  and  arrange,  I  shall  now  combine  these,  and 
make  out  a  general  abstract  of  information. 

The  amount  of  population  has  been  the  first  ob- 
ject of  attention,  and  results  stand  as  follows  : 
Western  District    .     .     .     .     4,158 
London    ditto  t  *>-*••***•  r**-*-    8,907 
Gore  ditto    .     .     .    ;.     .     ,     6,684 
Niagara  ditto   .....   12,548 
Home  ditto     V   V   C   ;v*    7,700 
Newcastle  ditto     ....     5,000 
Midland  ditto       V  ;.  V   .  14,853 
Johnstown  ditto    ....     9,200 
Eastern  ditto    ^    ./  *     ^;  j  12,700 
Ottawa  ditto    .     .     ...     1,500 

83,250 

The  writer  of  the  Sketches  (page  139)  calcu- 
lates, that  in  1811,  the  province  contained  76,984 
people.  The  grounds  of  his  calculation  were  the 
number  of  people,  taxed,  multiplied  by  8,  the 
number  which  he  had  found  to  be  the  proportion 


GENERAL   SUMMARY,    &C.  618 

to  the  number  taxed  in  a  particular  township. 
Without  having  looked  back  to  his  reckoning,  I 
assumed  the  number  of  people  taxed  in  the  New- 
castle District  as  my  ground  work,  multiplied  that 
number  by  6,-  as  the  average  number  of  each  fa- 
mily whose  head  member  was  taxed,  and  added 
266  persons  for  untaxed  families  and  individuals, 
to  make  up  the  even  number  of  5,000  as  the  total. 
Had  I  calculated  by  8,  the  total  would  have  been 
6,312,  or  1,312  above  my  fixed  result.  Were  the 
rule  of  calculation  adopted  by  the  writer  of  the 
Sketches  generally  correct,  my  error  would  be  in 
assuming  too  small  a  number  of  untaxed  people, 
viz.  §66  instead  of  1,578,  and  this  would  be  a 
great  error  indeed  ;  but  it  is  well  to  investigate 
error  for  the  sake  of  coming  at  truth.  My  assump- 
tion of  6  for  a  family  was  fair.  The  assumption  of 
the  number  266  was  purely  hypothetical,  and  in 
the  Newcastle  District  may  not  be  so  far  wrong  as 
it  would  appear  to  be  from  the  above  contrast. 
The  writer  of  the  Sketches  assumes  the  number 
8  for  each  name  on  the  assessment  roll,  from  his 
certain  knowledge  of  one  Township,  viz.  Ernest- 
town.  Now  Ernest-town  was  one  of  the  first 
settled  Townships,  and  in  1811  perhaps  the  most 
flourishing  in  the  Province.  In  such  a  Township 
the  proportion  of  untaxed  persons  will  be  much 
greater  than  in  a  thinly  settled  one,  and  where  im- 
provement is  proceeding  with  spirit.  Spirited  im- 
provement requires  many  hands,  and  attracts  them 
from  other  places ;  and  so  we  find  it  said  in  the 
Ernest-town  Report,  that  "  itinerant  tradesmen 


614  GENERAL  SUMMARY,    &c. 

from  the  United  States  often  augment  the  po- 
pulation by  some  hundreds,"  none  of  whom 
would  be  entered  on  the  assessment  roll :  besides, 
as  a  settlement  gets  old  and  wealthy,  the  number 
in  families  increases  from  an  increased  number  of 
children,  domestic  servants,  shopmen,  &c. — 
Newcastle  District  was  not  early  settled,  is  re- 
mote, thinly  settled,  and  in  consequence  has  had 
little  spirited  improvement,  each  farmer  doing 
his  own  work  with  little  assistance  from  hired  la- 
bourers, &c.  Indeed,  when  I  viewed  the  number 
of  people  which  resulted  from  my  calculation,  and 
considered  the  proportional  estimate  which  I  had 
in  my  mind,  by  travelling  through  it,  with  that  of 
other  Districts,  I  was  more  afraid  that  the  result 
was  above  than  below  the  mark. 

Comparing  my  estimate  of  population  with  that 
made  out  in  1811,  viz.:  83,250  with  76,984,  the 
increase  may  at  first  sight  appear  too  small  for  six 
years ;  but  circumstances  should  be  considered. 
In  1812,  when  war  was  declared  by  the  United 
States,  a  proclamation  was  issued  by  the  person 
administering  the  government  of  Upper  Canada, 
desiring  those  persons  to  depart  the  Province  who 
were  not  heartily  resolved  to  espouse  the  British 
cause.  In  consequence  of  this,  some  who  had 
settled  but  a  few  years,  did  go  off  cfuietly,  and 
others  at  different  periods  of  the  contest  followed 
them ;  some  from  dread,  and  some  traitorously. 
Thus,  and  by  the  waste  of  war,  there  must  have 
been  a  diminution  of  several  thousands. 

Immediately  after  the  war,  in  1815  and  1816,  a 


GENERAL    SUMMARY,    &C.  615 

tide  of  emigration  from  the  States  was  setting  into 
the  Province,   which  had  then  acquired  reputation 
as  a  place  of  security,  not  only  from  the  gallantry 
of  its  own  people,  but  from  the  zealous  efforts  ma- 
nifested by  the  British  government  in  its  defence. 
Many  Americans  at  that  time,  soured  with  their 
own  government,  and  exasperated  by  party  vio- 
lence, were  anxious  t6  retreat  into  Canada;  and 
there,  undoubtedly,  would  have  become  the  most 
loyal  subjects  of  the  king.     This   tide,  however, 
had  only  begun  to  move,  when  it  was  stopped  by 
orders  from  the  Lieu  tenant-Governor,  not  only  in 
the  face  of  ancient  statutes,  but  contrary  to  com- 
mon sense  and  the  best  policy.     In   1817  not  a 
creature  could  safely  settle  in  the  Province  from 
the   United    States ;  and    partly   from   discontent, 
partly  from  a  succession  of  bad  seasons,  there  was 
a  disposition  in  many  of  the  provincials  to  sell  off 
their  property,  and  move  further  to  the  south,  into 
Indiana  and  the  Illinois. 

Having  thus  reasoned  and  explained,  I  shall 
give  in  so  far.  I  think  the  amount  of  population, 
as  it  appears  from  the  Township  Reports,  and 
otherwise  by  analogy,  must  be  below  the  mark, 
Some  of  the  reporters,  I  suspect,  have  given  me 
the  population  from  assessment  rolls  alone,  without 
taking  into  account  the  untaxed  part  of  the  com- 
munity, and  perhaps  90,000  is  not  too  many  to 
estimate  as  the  total  amount.  In  a  recent  publi- 
cation I  have  seen  it  stated  at  94,000,  even  so 
early  as  1814.  This,  I  am  convinced,  was  too  high, 


616  GENERAL    SUMMARY,    &C. 

and    Heriot's  estimate,  made  out  in    1806,  must 
have  been  greatly  so. 

The  chief  end  of  these  observations  is  to  draw 
attention  to  the  subject  in  future.  Nothing  can 
be  easier  than  for  the  rulers  of  any  country  to  ob- 
tain correct  returns  of  population,  births,  deaths, 
&c.  annually,  from  which  interesting  conclusions 
may  be  drawn. 

Of  the  Indian  population  my  account  is  vague, 
but  it  is  of  little  consequence. 

Western  District  .  '  .  ./  7  1,000 
Gore  ditto  V  .  .'.  .  .  V  ,,  1,859 
Home  ditto  .....  ?  200 
Midland  ditto  ....  200 

Total  domiciled  in  or  near 

the  surveyed  tracts      .     3,259 

Throughout  the  wilderness  there  are  many 
more;  but  every  where  they  are  decreasing  in 
number,  and  since  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  by  which 
the  independence  of  the  Indian  nations  between 
Detroit  and  the  Mississippi  was  given  up,  Canada 
must  no  longer  trust  to  the  tomahawk  for  de- 
fence in  war — a  consummation  not  to  be  re- 
gretted. 

In  the  above  estimate  of  population,  as  it  stood 
in  18175  no  notice  has  been  taken  of  the  mass  of 
settlers  from  the  United  Kingdom  since  the  war. 
Upon  a  mere  surmise,  and  I  have  nothing  else  for 
it,  these  emigrants  may  have  amounted 


GENERAL    SUMMARY,     &C.  617 

IQ   1816,    to     .     .    '.     .  >;^/l  .V*  H         2,000 
In    1817,   to     .".?'.*     v:   ^i^-V<4   ,         3,000 
In    1818,   to     .     .  ; '.-» ••'. ^.^P^'  -*.?<         6,000 
In  1819,  to     .     .     .     :     ...     .  ^         8,000 
By  a  late  newspaper  account  there 
have  arrived  this  year  (1820)  at  Que- 
bec,   11,239    emigrants,    about    1,200 
less  than  last  year;  but  supposing  the 
arrangement  for   settling  the   country 
improved,  perhaps  fewer  of  these  have 
passed   into   the  United    States ;    say, 
that  actual  settlers  have  amounted  to   .  8,000 


27,000 

Of  discharged  soldiers  settled  since 
the  war,  and  abiding,  I  have  still  a  less 
perfect  knowledge  ;  but  for  the  sake  of 
being  corrected  by  those  who  know,  we 
shall  suppose,  with  women  and  chil- 
dren .  .  .  .  v .; •.  .  ;.  :: v :.__;," >>;",.>!•  6,000 

Of  settlers,  on  purchase,  from  the 
United  States,  for  three  years,  1818, 
1819,  and  1820,  we  shall,  in  the  same 

way  suppose       ,;j '/;*]         2,000 

Settled  population  estimated  above, 

1817      .     .  &sjifj&  ;-•:'•*«>•    •     •     •          90,000 
Natural  increase  of  these  in  3  years  6,000 

Indians       .     .     .   ...    w^u^  *.  . . . ;.         3,259 


134,259 

There  are  generally  about  2,500  military  and 
naval  people  occupying   the    various   forts,    &c. 


618  GENERAL    SUMMARY,    &C. 

throughout  the  Province.  In  order  of  importance 
these  are,  Kingston  say  1,500*;  Niagara  300*  ; 
York  150*;  Amherstburgh  100*;  Drummond's 
Island  60*  (near  Michilimackinac)  ;  Fort  Wel- 
lington 20*;  Fort  Erie,  Chippawa,  and  Queens- 
ton:  Mouth  of  the  Grand  River  and  naval  establish- 
ments, Penetangushene:  several  block  houses  have 
been  abandoned  entirely. 

From  the  statistical  tables  of  the  Western,  Lon- 
don, Gore,  and  Niagara  Districts,  it  appears  that 
42  townships  contain  24,734  people;  and  suppos- 
ing these  townships  to  average  100  miles  square, 
there  are  not  6  people  to  a  square  mile ;  while 
these  townships  are  better  settled  than  many  inter- 
mixed with  them. 

Supposing  that  there  were  in  Upper  Canada,  in 
1817,    100,000    inhabitants,    including   emigrants 
and  discharged  soldiers  ;  and  supposing  160  town- 
ships then    surveyed  contained    100  square  miles 
each,  there  would  not  be  quite  seven  persons  to 
the  square  mile  ;  a  miserably  thin  population.  Eng- 
land, with  all  its  wastes,  averages  200  souls  to  the 
square   mile,    and   some   of   the  thickly    peopled 
counties  upwards  of  double  that.     Canada,  under 
good  cultivation,  could,  I  am  convinced,  maintain 
a  third  part  more  people  over  the  same  extent  than 
England  ;  and  at  such  a  rate,  that  part  of  it  laying 
between  Lakes  Ontario  and   Erie,  northward,  so 


*  These  numbers  are  given  chiefly  to  denote  the  proportional 
importance  of  the  respective  stations,  and  with  no  pretension  t« 
accuracy  as  to  the  number  of  the^  military  and  naval  people. 


GENERAL  SUMMARY,    &C.  619 

far  as  Lake  Nipissing,  might  nourish  15  millions  of 
people. 

For  the  reported  population  of  26,977  in  the 
Western,  London,  Gore,  and  Niagara  districts, 
there  appear  to  be  20  places  of  worship  and  35 
resident  preachers,  of  whom 

15  are  Methodists 

5  Baptists 

4  Quakers 

3  Presbyterians 

3  Roman  Catholics 

3  Episcopalians 

1  Tunker* 

1  Menonist*. 


For  the  same  population  there  are  20  medical 
practitioners,  132  schools,  1 14- taverns,  130  stores, 
79  grist  mills,  and  1 16  saw  mills. 


AVERAGE   PRICES,   throughout  the  province, 
appear  to  be  as  follow — 

£.  s.    d. 

School  fees,  per  quarter  -     0    1 3     8 

Bricks,  per  thousand  -  -     1    10  11 


*  Tunkers  and  Menonists  are  German  sectarians,  with  only 
a  shade  of  difference  in  their  tenets.  Tunkers  all  wear  their 
beards;  some  of  the  Menonists  do  not  shave,  but  clip  their 
beards.  They  will  take  no  concern  in  political  affairs,  nor  turn 
out  as  militia  men  ;  but  cordially  agree  to  union  in  making  roads, 
&c.  They  are  a  good,  inoffensive,  unambitious  people,  and  very 
obedient  to  their  priests. 


620  GENERAL   SUMMARY,    &c. 

£.  s.    d. 

Lime,  per  bushel  -     0     1     0 

Blacksmith's  wages,  per  day  -     0     7     8 

Do.  per  month  -     514     0 

Masons,   per  day  -084 

Carpenters,    per  day  -     0     7     9 

Common  labourers,   per  annum  -  28   16     0 

Do.    per  winter  month  -     2     3     3 

Do.    per  summer  do.  -     3     5     2 

Do.  per  day,   in  harvest       ^>  •  -     0     5     2 

Women,  for  house  work,   per  week     -     0     5     6 

Spinning,    generally  Is.   more. 
Cost  of  clearing  and  fencing  five  acres 

of  wild  land  -  19     40 

Price  of  a  good  work  horse  -  15   11     0 

Do.   a  good  cow  -  -550 

Do.  an   ox  -     8    16     0 

Do.   sheep  -     0   14     3 

Do.  wool,  per  Ib.  -     0     2     5 

Do.  butter,  per  do.  -     0     1      1 J 

Do.  cheese,  per  do.  -     0     0  10 

Do.  wild  land,  at  first  -     0     3     9 

Do.  in  1817  -     1     4     0 

N.  B.  Wheat  in  1817  was  6s.  per  bushel;  now 
(1820)  it  is  3s. 

An  ox  will  gain  in  a  summer's  run    171f  Ibs. 

Average  produce  of  wheat,  per  acre     21     bush. 

Do.  of  wool,  per  sheep  '  T-:  3f  Ibs. 


TIMBER  TREES  may  be  supposed  to  abound 
most,  as  they  are  most  frequently  mentioned  in 
the  Reports  ;  thus  : 

MAPLE  (hard  and  soft)  53  times  :   OAK  (white, 


GENERAL   SUMMARY,    &C.  621 

red,  black,  swamp)  52:  BEECH,  48  :  BASSWOOD, 
sometimes  called  WHITE  WOOD  (page  292),  some- 
times LYNDEN  (page  389),  45  :  ASH  (black,  white, 
and  swamp),  45:  PINE  (white),  44:  ELM  (white 
and  red),  38:  HICKORY,  34:  WALNUT  (black 
and  white),  29  :  BUTTERNUT,  21  :  CHESNUT, 
19:  CHERRY,  18:  IRON  WOOD,  15:  CEDAR, 
12:  BIRCH,  8:  HEMLOCK  (of  the  fir  tribe),  7: 
POPLAR,  5:  SPRUCE,  5:  TAMARACK  (a  species 
of  larch),  4:  PLUM,  ELDER,  WILLOW,  HAZLE, 
and  CRAB  TREE,  twice:  BUTTON  WOOD,  ALDER, 

TULIP  TREE,  QUAKING  ASP,  SHITTIM  WOOD, 
SYCAMORE,  CYPRESS,  MULBERRY,  THORN,  LO- 
CUST, SASSAFRAS,  and  DOGWOOD,  once. 

N.  B.  DOGWOOD,  and  some  others  here  quoted 
from  the  Reports,  should  not  properly  rank  as  tim- 
ber trees. 


PLOUGHING  begins  generally  about  the  1st  of 
April :  some  seasons  not  till  the  15th  or  20th. 

SOWING  WHEAT  chiefly  in  September ;  but 
sometimes  so  early  as  the  middle  of  August,  and  so 
late  as  the  10th  of  October. 

REAPING  WHEAT  end  of  July  and  beginning 
of  August ;  occasionally  so  late  as  September. 

CATTLE  are  turned  out  to  pasture  generally  the 
1st  of  May,  and  taken  in  the  end  of  November: 
they  can  browse  in  the  woods  from  the  1st  of  April 
till  the  end  of  December. 

SLEIGHING  begins,  throughout  the  upper  part 
of  the  province,  about  the  1st  of  January,  and 
continues  two  months ;  in  the  lower  parts  of  the 


622  GENERAL   SUMMARY,    &C. 

province  it  begins  about  the   15th  of  December, 
and  lasts  three  months. 

MOWING  grass   for  hay,  and   REAPING,  from 
3s.  9d.  to  7s.  6d.  per  day. 

CR ADDLING  wheat,  6s.  to  10s.  per  day. 
The  customary  terms  of  LETTING  LAND,  or,  as 
it  is  called,  letting  it  on  SHARES,  is  for  the  land- 
owner to  have  one-third  of  the  produce.  If  the 
land-owner  furnishes  seed  and  team,  he  gets  one  half; 
and  if  he  furnishes  every  thing  but  manual  labour, 
he  gets  two-thirds. 

SELLING  PRICE  of  cultivated  farms,  see  pages 
309,  327,  330,  334,  339,  360,  373,  424,  427,  447, 
475,  &c.  &c. 

A  GOOD   FRAME  FARM  HOUSE  COSts  from  £125 

to  £250. 

A   GOOD  FRAME  BARN,  <£125. 
A  LOG  HOUSE,  £25. 

BLACKSMITH'S  work,  iron,  at  the  rate  of  7Jd. 
per  Ib.  common  work;  making  chains,  Is. 

An  AXE  costs  12s.  6d.;  a  HOE,  5s.;  SHOEING 

A   HORSE,  10S. 

CARDING  WOOL,  7|d.  per  Ib.  and  from  5d. 
to9d. 

A  TAILOR  charges,  for  making  a  coat,  from  20s. 
to  27s.  6d. ;  and  10s.  for  pantaloons. 

SHOEMAKERS  charge  3s.  9d.  for  making  a  pair 
of  shoes;  and  a  WEAVER  has,  for  weaving  a  yard 
of  common  flannel,  Is.  to  Is.  6d.  SAWING,  2s.  6d. 
per  100  feet,  or  half  the  timber. 

THE   AVERAGE    PRODUCE    OF    WHEAT  per  aCT6 

being  21  bushels  for  one  of  seed,  speaks  sufficiently 


GENERAL   SUMMARY,    &C.  623 

for  the  fertility  of  the  land.  The  average  produce 
of  England  does  not  exceed  18  bushels  per  acre 
for  3  bushels  of  seed.  In  Canada  the  husbandry 
is  in  general  very  bad;  in  England  it  is  the  reverse: 
but  the  natural  superiority  of  Canada,  in  point  of 
soil,  over  England,  rises  to  greatest  excess,  when 
we  consider,  that  from  one  end  of  the  province  to 
the  other  there  is  scarcely  two  acres  of  sterile 
ground  to  be  seen  side  by  side,  while  England  has 
its  mountains,  its  moors,  its  poor  downs,  and  its 
barren  sands. 


OPINIONS 

As  to  what  retards  the  improvement  of  the  Province. 

1st.  In  24  Reports,  lands  of  non-occupants,  see 

pages  280,  283,  293,  304, 
311,  313,  319,  323,  327, 
329,  334,  343,  346,  351, 

362,  370,  373,   392,    395, 
420,  428,  432,  477,  486. 

2d.  19        do.       crown,  clergy,  and  other  re- 

serves, see  pages  280,  283, 
304,  313,  319,  331,  340, 
341,  343,  346,  348,  351, 

363,  367,   392,   396,   415, 
477,  501. 

3d.  14        do.       want   of    people,    especially 

men  of  capital  and  enter- 
prise, 289,  293,  309,  317, 


624  GENERAL   SUMMARY,    &C. 

327,    335,    344,  367,  382, 
409,  411,  420,  454,  492. 

4th.    In    8  Reports,  want  of  money,  861,  382, 

391,  895,  428,  448,  454, 
492. 

5th.  5        do.       shutting     out     Americans, 

380,  396,  412,  425,  430. 

6th.  4        do.       bad   navigation  of  the    St. 

Lawrence,  and  remoteness 
from  market,  329,  479, 
486,  564. 

7th.  3        do.       bad  roads,  382,  409,  454. 

8th.  3        do.       lands  of  Indians,  283,  305, 

387. 

9th.  2        do.       want  of  emigration,  and  of 

a  liberal  system  of  emi- 
gration, 317,  343. 

10th.  2        do.       difficulties  opposed  to  emi- 

grants, and  poverty  of  be- 
ginners, 361,  378. 
llth.  1        do.       damages  sustained  by  war, 


12th.  1  do.  want  of  liberal  and  indiscri- 

minate admission  of  set- 
tlers from  the  United 
States,  396. 

13th.  1  do.  indiscriminate  admission  of 

do.  .481. 

14th.  1  do.  want  of  incentive  to  emu- 

lation, 280. 

15th.  1  do.  defect  in  the  system  of 

colonization,  280. 


GENERAL   SUMMARY,    &C.  625 

16th.  In  1  Report,  lands  in  the  hands  of  indivi- 
duals unwilling  to  sell,  and 
minors  who  cannot  convey, 
283. 

17th.  1  do.  remoteness  from  market,  and 
difficulty  of  communicating 
with  the  lower  province, 
289. 

18th.  1  do.  People,  who  got  land,  from  the 
United  States,  and  went 
off  after  selling  it,  502. 

19th.  1  do.  want  of  spirited  and  indus- 
trious men,  506. 

20th.  1  do.  want  of  a  bank  (now  supplied), 
486. 

21st.        1      do.      want  of  skill  in  husbandry,  484. 

22d.  1  do.  bad  habits  of  original  settlers, 
soldiers,  and  bad  characters, 
from  the  United  States,  476. 

23d.         1      do.      want  of  rousing  up,  384. 


END   OF   THE   FIRST    VOLUME. 


s  s 


J.  B.  BARNARD, 
»7,  Skinnfr  Street,  London. 


1'J 


F  cGourlay,   Robert  Fleming., 

5503  Statistical  account  of 

G68  Upper  Canada 
v.l 


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