Stoyarf Chichof- 9 ^ ^ . '• » I MocW of lavingf out land Cknada •; *• ^ V. \ ’. T 7 ie biat'k U€tu*ti\» npftytw .\ \ ITi^ iUtHMnril (rtnrrfiuimr''htit*nr\t.\ YOKKllAKJtOl^ •*, SlPTG.STO^r UAKHOl'R .*c. Sc air ation Onstow ^ *' ChaaeUarr J^I^TRICT wm. Mi chi V iVop^ecl f 5 *vV .Inwomimn 'Ai'fAXfA Encnraved for Stafstical Acci tvif/ ot'Jtitpul* m A> /»■ i Thg> Circlrw ,f-.fin^* • . - *- - ^ ^ ^ — - j tLm. .i M . ^ . t. , M ^ t ixSntierhoeh ^€>ot tj^ Ktipiiit Hawkeslmr\' Koxb<>roii< Finch arse IA'DIANAj Newton ^>^lHam 8 bur^ C omwall (•tfTTUf mi J6/1 Vandreuil Matilda ffmei iri Auo*usta ^attneon 2JiMrujh Ctjrrm-tt/I (k^tltTisbuntJ ATILAT?T 3 r OTEAN Veela * m Mtd by 1. o„flm,in * rr tatemoMrr Am; Art- tltHtJ 8 7 7 1 ''' "1 Ksher^ Shtxn i u JhAr \ EXPLANATION MAP, PLATES, &;c. 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 i^ JNovember, 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 unexpected 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 addedj including more than fifty townships. 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 townships for settlement, and hurrying poor emigrants into the depths of the wilderness, without thought or preparation, was in- finite: discomfort^ want, ague^ and death. He would not listen to truth and sincerity ; but for the duties of govern- ment ^Substituted tennis-ball, horse-racing, and worse. In my third volume the miseries experienoetl by poor emigrants, under the present inodes of settlement, VOL. I. a 1 ii explanation of the map, &c. shall be d^elt 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 wish to save time, Upper Canada is best approached from Britain by way of New York ; and for the traveller’s information, I have not^^longTlifi great icnwHng-roads thi^ugh the state of NewYork, &c. the distances between the principal stages, which have been examined in that country, and pronounced 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 Govern- ment surveys, with a few additions. I ti*avelled through every quarter of Upper Canada; and twice, by various routes, to and from New York ; so that my personal know- ledge 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 OP THE MAP, &C. iii Tile views of the Falls of Niagara have been drawn from wiy 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 tliose 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 , comfortablv, and vaf 0 ly. In the mean time T 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 afibrd more interesting subjects, a^d 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 Ihur 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 i 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 a2 iv EXPLANATION OP THE MAP, &C. the St. Lawrence to Montreal !— toncestfor afew days in that dep&t 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 Qld- En| a^ lB ntUJ^.*. i^nnb i « i x iwnnths b e any how or any where so well employed ? — Could ^200 (and with wonomy, that would be quite suflScient) — 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 deuce are we in the 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 OP THE MAP, &€. V 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 botli ; 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 Merchants of Lower and Upper Canada to Sir George Prevost, dated Montreal, Oct. 14tfa, 1812. Posterity will hardly believe, although liistory 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 tlie province pf 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 tlie 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 OP 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 tlie 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 lriy- a t t ch ii 4m w a nld hi^y^ 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 sim 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 tliat the tears of Mr. Os- ♦ Convention between his Binlannic Majesty and the United States of America, signed at London, October ^Oth, 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 of the map, &c. wald were shed to little purpose. By that Convention land was given away, which by the clearest evidence belonged to I -- Frederic John Robinson, Treasurer of his Majesty’s Navy, 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 has 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 exchange 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, an cree s, of his Britannic Majcst/o 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 every kind on that part of the southern coast of Newfoundland which extend. from CapeBay to the Rameau Islands, on die western and northerh coast of Newfoundland, from the said Cape Ray to t e uipro Islands, on the shores of the Magdalen Islands, ana also on the coasts, bays, harbours, and creeks, from f y- ^ southern coast of Labrador, to and through the streights o ^ isle, and thence northwardly, indefinitely along the coast with out prejudice however to any of the exclusive rights of the Hu^ son’s Bay Company. And that the American fishermen shall 1^ have liberty,^ ever, to dry and cure fish in any of the uns^ e harbours and creeks of the southern P- foundland hereabove described, and of the but so soon as the same, or any portion thereo , shall be settled it shall not be lawful for the said fishermen to such portion so settled, without previous agreement for such pu pose with the inhabitants,, proprietors, or possessors of the Vlll 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 Britainnic 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 theTLaErSTtE* 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 inisrsection, due west along and with the said parallel, .iSall 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 f the signature of the present convention, to the vessels, citi- 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 tea 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. Whereas 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 expijination 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 watershed, 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. Soutlr and east of it, 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 pot 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 : — 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 1^1 gr : Xii EXPLANATION OP THE MAP, &C. saying that there should neither* tie 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. ^ i \ ^ r: Ji, THE KING, WHO CAN DO NO WRONG, THIS , DEDICATED, » BY HIS MOST DEVOTED SUBJECT, ROBERT GOURliAY. CONTENTS OP VOLUME I. ’-) .1 PAGE General Introduction, with Introductions to Sketches and Township Reports SKETCHES UPPER CANADA. History r,. ...................... a. PAGE .... 1 IL Boundaries .... 16 HI. Natural Divisions of the Country .... 27 IV. Lakes, Rivers, Cataracts, Bays, and Harbours. 37 V- Civil Divisions .... .... 116 VI- Settlements ........1..... .... 124 VII. Population .... 139 VIII. Climate, Winds, &c. IX. Water .... 145 X. Soil, Stones, Minerals, &c XI. Productions, natural and cultivated • • • , XIII. Domestic Animals XIV. Birds I • , PAGP Sketch XV. Fishes 1^5 XVI. Amphibieus Animals, Reptiles, and Insects. . 183 XVII. Constitution XVIII. Provincial Parliament 190 XIX. Executive ISovernment 204 XX. Judiciary XXI. Money XXII. Revenue and Taxes XXIII. Commerce ....“.V. 224 XXIV. Militia ^29 231 XXV. Religion, and Ecclesiastic Institutions • • XXVI. Profession and Practice of Law 234 235 236 XXVII. Physic and Surgery XXVIII. Trades, and Apprenticeships 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 ApffiNDix to Sketches 7':- ill A iij .1 - n 247 ,/' i^JlI 'in : >1 r ^ W A n / ..*■» -i f ^ 1 s'jyi .YA . . Ij'jfii/ijfi/rj IjitA ijiiiiian .iX .... ietnoU oiii -li k JiX fifi.iair:/. Dt/;: mod ATV^ \ Ainl'i » CONTENTS. xrii TOWNSHIP REPORTS or UPPER CANADA. ' PAGE Queries 270 Notes 271 WESTERN DISTRICT. . PAGE 1. Sandwich 275 2. Malden ...«•• 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, 273 300 L . 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 5. Windham 314 6. Townsend... ^1^ 7. Walpole and Rainham 8. Woodhouse 9. Charlotteville ^23 10. Walsingham 1 1 . Middleton ^29 12. Norwich ••••••.. 331 * Statistical T able ....•••••••••••••••••••••••• •• VOL. I. xviii CONTENTS. page 13. Bayham * 14. Malahide.*. 15. Yarmouth 16. South wold 17. Dunwich 18. Aldborough Statistical Tables 35^. 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 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 f • •••.,.• . 441 9. Thorold 445 10. Crowland. 446 CONTENTS. XIX 11. Wainfleet 12. Canboro’ and Calstor Summary of Population, &c, Statistical Table PAGE 449 452 454 456 THE HOME DISTRICT. (No Report received.) , , , . . 458 NEWCASTLE DISTRICT. Haldimand Summary of Population, &c MIDLAND DISTRICT. 1 . Kingston, first and second Report 2. Emest-Town, including Amherst Island 3. Adolphus-Town . , 4. Sophiasburg 5. Hallowell 6. Thurlow General Report Summary of Population, &c. &c 470. 477 ' . . . 482 . . • 486 .... 486 . . . 487 • • 489 .. 492 .. 495 JOHNSTOWN DISTRICT. 1 . Wolford 2. Landsdown 3. Elizabeth-Town, 508; Yonge, 512; Landsdown, . Leeds, 516; Kitley, 517; Bastard, 518; and South Crosby t*., 518 Summary of Population, &c 520 Letter to the Editor of British Newspapers 522 Statistical Tables 524. 526 Proclamation by the Authority of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, encouraging Settlers in Canada . . 528 Remarks on do. &c 539 • = - yt ^ • - / XX CONTENTS. EASTERN DISTRICT. PAGE Charlottenburgh • • Summary of Population, &c. Draught of an Address to the Prince Regent ........ 571 OTTAWA DISTRICT. 580 a LOWER CANADA. Seigniory of New Longeuil • ...... 584 Soulange ••••. 586 Vaudreuil 589 Rigaud 591 Tsle Perrot 592 Montreal Island 592 Isle Jesus 598 Terrebonne 598 Mille Isles 600 Lac des deux Montagues 600 Argenteuil 602 La Petite Nation 603 Township of Chatham 604 Wentworth 605 Grenville 605 Lochaber (Suffolk) 605 Buckingham 606 Templeton 606 Hull 607 Eardley and Onslow 608 Newton §09 Statistical Table 611 General Summary, &c 612 Opinions as to what retards the ImproTement of the Pro- vince 623 ERRATA. Page 1, lait line of the second Table, /or 16,847|, read 16,666i. • — 274, line fO, for quality, read quantity. 274, line 2 and elsewhere, for straight, read strait. -i— 278, line 22, for 20, read AO, — 287, line 23, for quarter, read acre. ■ ■ — 296, last line of the Table, /or 1 14, reorf 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 qf line 5 ; — line 6, for 1,930, read 1,839 ^ — line 8, /or 8,614, read 8,343. ■■ ■ ■■ 436, fourth column of Totals, /or 8,398, read 8,498. — 457, last line but one, /or 10, read 100. — 323, line 1, for 13 months, read 12 months. f . r.. lit > IftiC Aj»~-^>z~K t; |- lit r -V'' .#^s ./.TAflfla ,ttfP..dl ^‘v»-itd4iT fion?^4 -^rtiV* ?f»*r .Hnu Vo-ji tAt L V w ,^^ik — -d4^b^.'fcV,0®t *iAr — • •IrlVlI.iwJAl ;i!3ttlluj4 W' ,^.MU4l >A> \>3*i» I ?*» cS;l ^ w ;5^ j U^u:r ttitiuruo t< jm>m> ^V — ^ .Wi Uf'in ,«i >Ar^nN>f»n> !iU!» t:ul ,Tn -- — ' ^ . _ »«J|I44 frtijL*t kl*%i m. SKETCHES OF UPPER CANADA. SKETCH I. HISTORY. Discovery of Canada — St. Lawrence — Quebec set^ y tied — Montreal — Iroquois — Fort Fron tenac— Progress of French Settlements — Conquest of Canada— Proclamation— Quebec Act— American Loyalists — Upper Canada settled — U. E. List Division of the Province — Lieutenant Governors^ Simcoey Hunter^ and Gore. Columbus 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 VII. 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 Cartier’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, befoi-e, 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 nam6 of the St. Lawrence, through its whole extent, from the g^lf up to the outlet of Ontario. Be- tween that lake and Erie, thirty-three miles, it is UPPER CANADA. 3 I denominated the Niagara river. From lake Erie to lake Sinclair, twenty-seven miles, it is called De- troit, that is the Strait, without any di.stinctive 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 succes.sful, 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. Ijawrence, 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 Sulpicius, a religious 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- B 2 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 tlie river and lake, principally in the territory now composing' the western r'egion 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, tlie 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 Mi chilimackinac. UPPER CANADA. 5 Except these military stations, ami some fac- tories and trading 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, repairs 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 labom’, 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 sts^te 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 ; apd, in the war of 175i6, under the vigorous and brilliar^t administration of Mr. Pitt, a grand effoi't for that purpose was finally crowned with success. In 1759 Niagara surrendered to Sir William Johnson. General Amhenst reduced Ticouderago and Crowp Point. The memorable battle, fought on the heights of Abraham, and immortalized by the deaths of the SKETCHES OF 8 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 Oswcigatchie, 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, 176-3. A Royal Proclamation was issued in October ol 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 rights 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 law's, trials with- out jury, and the establishment, as it w'as 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, ojierating 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 Canatlians, touched upon different parts of it. Its provision, 10 SKETCHES OP 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- goyrie, many of the Americans who adhered to the royal cause removed into Canada with their fami- lies. Upon the evacuation of New York, at tho 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 libeml assignments of land in Upper Canada, as in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, to the American loyaU ists. The second battalion of the 84th regiment, having been raised in America, was now disbandr 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. Nc 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 j 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 towur 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. SKETCHES OF 12 being accustomed to describe them by their re- spective numbers, as First town, Second town, See. retained the custom, after distinct names were legally 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 butlers, rans’ers, 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. 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 (jump, 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, cleai*ed and cultivated their farms with la- borious perseverance, and literally converted a UPPER CANADA. 18 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 j 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 ex|)ense. 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 OF 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 surveying 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 Niag’ara, 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 Siincoe being transferred to another *tation, 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, hii 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 SKETCHES OF 16 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 II. BOUNDARIES. Line of Division from Lower Canada-^Hudson^ s Bay — United States — Latitude and Longitude of the Source of the Mississippi and the North UPPER CANADA, 17 West Point of the iMke of the Woods^^estern Limits indefinite— Discoveries of M^Kentie, 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 tbe St. Lawrence to the Hudson’s Bay : nortlierly 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 18tb, 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; 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 territoi’y to the westward and southward of the SKETCHES OF 18 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, of 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 purp se 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' we.st, 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‘Keuzie c 2 SKETCHES OF 18 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, of 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 purpase 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' we.st, so that the lines de.scribed 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'Kenzie c 2 ‘20 SKETCHES OE 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, j and several other trading posts, which the United j 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 j 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 tlie respective governments. That period will, probably, not be very remote, if we may judge from the progress of past events. UPPER CANADA. 21 III 1793, Mr. M‘Kenzie, one of the British North West Company, penetrated through the interior of the continent, to the Paciftc 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 foU 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 Unitetl 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 interfering^ 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 Michiiimack- inac; all of them, except fort Erie, being 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 ]x>ssession, 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. 2 24 SKETCHES OF 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 Niagai'a was placed at fort George, on the British side of the river, in tha township of Niagara. From Detroit, the military force was brought over to Amherstburgh, in the township of Malden, 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 communiaition 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 Michi/imac- 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- cendai^ 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 the.se 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, wlien 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‘Dowall, 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 — Diveryiny Courses of the Boundary Waters — Peninsula between the Lakes — Country beyond the Lakes — British Claim extendiny 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 sujierficial 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. Liawrence 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 lake 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 mike. fi. G. UPPER CANADA. 29 taincd. The course of the Petite Riviere to its head waters, and over to those which flow into lake Nipissingf, 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 g-radual 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 Amherstburgli 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. 80 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 'iidge is not, I think, correctly applied here. Ridge means a prolonged height with a declivity on 60^/1 sides. 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 TrwuTdain, 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 fake 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 foit 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 extremes of heat and cold; and is perhaps superior. UPPER CANADA. ol 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 isco-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 OV 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 rivei’s, 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 pas.sage, 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 2,100 Fox skins 1,500 Kitt Fox skins 4,000 Otter skins 4,600 Musquash skins 17,000 Martin skins 32,000 Mink skins 18,000 Lynx skins 6,000 Wolverene skins 600 Fisher skins 1,650 Raccoon skins 100 Wolf skins 3,800 Elk skins 700 Deer skins 750 . Do. dressed 1,200 Buffalo robes 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 ■i 34 SKETCHES OF, 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. 36 "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 D 2 SKETCHES aF 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 propei'ty 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 Pai’liament, particularly 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 One of the privileges granted by their char- are. ter, the exclusive right of trade, lias been called in question, upon this ground, that according to the principles of the English constitution, such a grant is not within the Royal prerog’ative, 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- elusive privilege of trade seems to have received the indirect sanction of Parliament*. SKETCH IV. LAKES, RIVERS, CATARACTS, BAYS, AND HARBOURS. Lony hake — 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 (he 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- densburgh — 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 Long 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 the 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 i.slands, one of them re- puted to be 100 miles long, and 40 broad. The two largest. Royal and Phillipeaux, are defined by the 10 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. Ihe 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 ot very great length. I’he 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, throuffh 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 Hurov UPPER CANADA. 41 at its north western angle, near which is the Island of St. Joseph, where the weste’ nmost 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 Michufan, 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 Ouisconsen, 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 j 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 Malden by way of Sand- wich, to this place ; the latter had pui*sued 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. 2 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 oflScers 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 very 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, that 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. 46 ilouses, 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 rel)uilt 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 Hull 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 Malden, but the enterprise was relin- quished. After one month’s possession, he recrossed 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 Canada, 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 lire, 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 Malden, 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 j 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 j 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 Malden, 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. I '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 Malden, 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 Horne, 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 Ijong 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 opjx)site 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 ot the middle line. Thence the course is northerly, 36 miles to Amherstburgh, 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 measui-ed. b 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 Ohioj 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 l*oats 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 out ages from the Indians, if irritated by further defence. It had no effect. In the beginning of SKETCHES OF 60 May, General Clay arrived with a reinforcement of Kentucky militia. A.s they were coming down the river in boats, a detachment ot 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. Golonel 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 fuur 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 j 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. 51 About the middle of the soutli shore is Chnveland, 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 Ba vf, on the French creek, which is navigable for bo »ts down to its junction with the Allegany, at Franklin, and thence down to Pittsburg, where the Allegany 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, thronorh which the inhabitants of the northern counties of the state of Ohio, w'ili 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, 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. 63 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 0 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 SKETCHES OE 54 other. In this .scene of accumulated distress, he found a friend in his enemy. Tlie brave are naturally hmnane. Comnu d >re Perry paid the most delicate attention to his equally heroic, but le.ss tortimate rivul. Tl.e brave, too, are grateful as well as l.umane. There is as much magnanimity in ac- knowledging as in bestowing a kindness. At a public dinner given afterwards at Three Rivers, in Ijower Canada, in honour of Commodore Barclay, be gave as a volunteer toast, “ Commodore Perry, the yallont hut yenerous enemy." Of all the com- pliments paid to the hero of lake Erie, this is far from being the least. Had the fortunes of tliese liberal men, on that eventful day, been reversed, there is good rea.son 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, belong'ing 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 k 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 sailoi’s 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 getting 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 |)ossessed by both armies. In May, 1813, alter 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 SKETCHES OF 5« 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 aliove and others below the fort. After the battles of Chippawa and Niagara, and the return of the re- mains of the Aniericanarmy, 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, be 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 Lieutenaht-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 a.ssault ; but were checked and compelled to retire. Colonel Scott was mortally wounded. The column led by Colonel Drummond, approached w'ith ladders, amidst a tremendous fii'e, 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 Aniericans 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- gsiged, 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 Brow n having recovered from his w'ounds 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 intervening 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 nmin 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 half ; 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 ap|)ears 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, Genei’al 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 villasre. Several houses and barns were burnt in this vicinity, and indeed throughout all the country, which was the scene of military oj.erations. Mills were ranked among the resources of war, and were therefore professedly destroyed. Othei' 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 in a- sions and retreats, the marches and counter-marches, the encampnients, sieges, and Imttles, which di- versified the war on the Niagara frontier, it was scarcely po.ssible that the inhabitants should not suffer in their habitations and property. Of these sufferei's 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 tlie 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 harl)our ; 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. 1 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 shipping 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 j but was met and repulsed at a bridge, by Major Morg^an, with 300 riflemen. The Niagara river is inteiesting 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 Iwat 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. Navy island is cLimed by both parties, and it remains for the commissioners to SKETCHES OF 62 settle the claim. The main channel, I think, passes on its east side between it and Grand isle. Tf that should be adjudged to he “ 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- tie 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. 65 The attack was made on General Scott’s brigade, which was principally engaged in the ojjen 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 fi re 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 he 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. -B. G. + 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. 66 down among rocks and precipices covered with foam, dashed up in various forms and colours. Be- yond these foaming rapids, at the distance of half a mile, a cloud of vapour is seen to rise; but the river dissippears. 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 biu-ned 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 ni 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 per|)endicular 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 g'overned 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 edge. The passage is tedious. In some places it is difficult, and attended with some danger of tumbling or sliding down to the water. Aon 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 mdde 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 a\egan 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 Riall retreating. The latter com- 74 SKETCHES OP 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 difi’erent 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, having- 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 blufi. 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 l>ed of the river is walled by steep irregular cliffs, nearly or quite perj^endicular, 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 OP 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 moimtain, and composed of different materials. It is the highest ground in the Province : I think about 500 feet. The Short-hills is a district of country five or six miles square, containing this and some other small hills. — R. G. 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 pai’ty 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 Wadsworth, 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* rnent, 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 Sheatfe 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 nunjiber 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 Chippawa 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 portag’e 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 are rivals in co.nmerce. 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 pas.: ig up. This is the head of navigation, whence vessels sail to any port on the lake, and down Jhe St. Lawrence to Ogdensburgh j 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 cora- munication, which is thus rendered a place of vevj 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. The town, as well as township of Niagara, was originally named Newark ; but in 17t)8 the name was changed by law. Stdl it is generally but I 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. u 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 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 Foi-syth. 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 eft’ectually covered, the boats safely reached the shore. The troops landed, and mount- ing the bank, immediately fornied and pressed forward. The British line, already thrown into some confusion, by the raking* fire from the ship- 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 82 SKETCHES OF superior force, directed his retreat towards the liead of the lake, to concentrate his forces, rally the mili- tia, and wait for reinforcements. The harmonious arrangements and co-operation of General Dear- j born, and Commodore Chauncey, on this occasiou, as well as at York, have been spoken of in terms of high commendation. Fort George i*emained 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. UPPER 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 right 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. Id 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 McClure’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. G 2 84 SKETCHES OF There are two bare at the outlet of the river. On 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, w'ho was at I 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 \incent’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 ofiicer, whom he represented to be at hand with his regiment, and magnifying the strength of the Indians, demanded 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 jwssed 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 riv,er 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, thoug'h it is not so soft and suitable lor the solution of soitp 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 5 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, worn round and smooth, by the friction occasioned by the motion of the water. I This gravel is an excellent material for the forma- I tion of roads. It is not harsh like the jiounded stones of which Pennsylvania turnpikes are made; and when consolidated with the clayey soil which generally abounds along the shore, 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 oft' by friction, and the whole mass is cemented and concreted into hori- ] zontal strata of limestone ; some of which may h* seen in an imperfect state of concretion, the sur- face being still rough with adhering gravel stones. Others contain mu.scle 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. lAiwrence, and the north easterly {Kirt of the lake, including Ernest Town sound, and the bay of Quinte, on the Canada shore, and Chauinont bay. Sachet’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 last 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 tlie 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 j 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 stoi-y 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 aflbrd convenient mill seats. The war was unpropitious to York. It was tw'ice taken by the Americans. First by General Dearborn and Con>modore Chauncey, acting in concert, April 27, 181.3. 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 ea.st, the Ixuits fell to the leeward. A detachn)ent 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 froin 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 havin^f 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 Iroard 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, were taken 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. Ujx)n 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, >vho 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 die 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 disaftected 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 fiwrwas set by a number of Americans, supposed, from their appearance, to be iiailors, unattended by any officer. 02 SKETCHES OP 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 Genei-al, 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- flicts of arms, are worthy of notice and imitation, as they reflect honour on both parties, and have a tendency to mitigxite 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 nuni- ber of cannon and boats, and a cjuantity 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 Geneml Smith, Merchandise from Montreal to Michilimackinac, may be sent this way at ten or fifteen pounds less exigence per ton, than by the route of Ottawa river;” and it has been represented tabe-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 ^sual passage to Oswego, they can be as easily forwarded from either of those lake ports to York as to Niagara. 94 SKETCHES OP 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 form, about fifty miles, leaving between it and the lake a long forked peninsula, called Prince Edward, ♦ Pronounced Canty. UPPER CANADA, 9o 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 adjoining 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 l^est harbour in the bay. Moira river, more commonly denomi- nated Myers’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 Appanee 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 be.st 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 3 06 SKETCHES OF its whole extent of 50 miles, is navigable for any vessels which commonly iiavigate the lake. The i^eninsiila 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 lx)th 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 brojid 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 sud 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 storns weakened, by Amherst island, once known is L’Isle de Tonti, which lies in front, and extends about ten miles, forming a sound of corresjxmding length, and of the variable breadth of two or three miles. The outlet at either end is safe. Ves.sels sailing up the lake from Kingston, may passthrough * This is the latitude of Ernest Town, according to my o\^ observation ; but my means of taking it were not very perfect. In general, I have adopted the reputed latitudes and longituife of places. UPPER CANADA. 97 this sound, or keep without the island. Between the east end and Gag-e 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 ai 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- wwk, 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 tessels of any burthen may lie in kifety, and load and unload SKETCHES OF J^8 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 hlissassaga 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 large 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 j 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 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 Sodm, 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 inlaad 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, Onandago Salt, with which Oswego supplies Upper Canada, together with Michilimac- kinac, Detroit, and the ikorthern 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 villao^ 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 boats 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 bis corps of about 300 men. The action lasted half an hour, when the Americans retreated up the river towards the falls without re-enterinsf the fort. General Drummond next day burnt the barracks, and re-embarked for Kingston, bringing away two cannon, some small arms, and naval stores. Bui UPPER CANADA. 103 the great object of the expedition, the capture of the principal stores for the American fleet, was not effected. Henderson’ s harbour is the western part of a hay 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 harijour. 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 numljers, 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. Sachet'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 SKETCHES OF 104 a bold shore, and is protected from the winds of the lake by a nari'ow 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 U nited 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 being 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, wliere 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 into a road leading south west- ward through a wood. Their marching off in that direction, while the regular troops yet stood firm, had the appearance of a rapid, circuitous movement to gain the rear of the British line, and cut ofl* 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- \ anced 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 OP 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 l)y 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 irPPER 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 course. 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 jjort 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 risking 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 militai’y 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 lx)th 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 ti*ansferred 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 i 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 j 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 of 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 TOmiles; but their passage up is difficult, not so much because 110 SKETCHES OP 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 M ontreal 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 j furnace for the manufacture of iron. II Early in the war with the United States, Ganano- fl qui was visited by a party of volunteers from the other shore, under the order of Captain Forsyth, who j 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 nan;ow 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 pjoprietors, 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 il' twenty boats, supported by two gun-boats, moved 1* up the river three quarters of a mile, then tacked C and stood over towards Ogdensburgh. As soon as they changed their course, the batteries at Prescott t 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'Donnell 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 commetcia! 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 settletnent 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 i* yet in its infancy, considerable arrangements are 2 n 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- H fication is honoured with the name of Fort Wel- n lington. It has a garrison of regular troops, and is an important military post, commanding the tD river and the opposite town of Ogdensburgh. h The uppermost rapid in the St. Lawrence is just tti below Johnstown. From thence to Montreal the li river is navigable only for boats, rafts, &c. I A more difficult rapid is the LongeSault (longus „ saltus), in front of the township of Osnaburg above Cornwall. The channel is here divided by j several islands, and the water runs with great velo- ^ city, especially at the foot, w here 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 I pilotage, boats and rafts pass them in safety. I SKETCHES OP 114 The Ottawa, or Grand river, which divides the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada tor several hundred miles, forming in its course various lakes, islands, rapids, and falls, opens into the St. Law* rence, through a bay called the Lake of 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 w’ere forwarded to the shipping and posts on lake Michigan. The height of the w-ater 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 i* UPPER CANADA. tm caused by the wearing away of the channel of the outlet, or whatever may be- its cause, the fact is certain, and ought to be noted*. It was once supposed, that the lakes were 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 day time, 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 bydifferent winds on theopenlake. 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 and small craft passing to and from the mills conform to the alternate influx and reflux, which succeed each other several times in a day-j-. In 181 5 the waters of Ontario and the upper lakes rose higlief t lan they had been for 30 years past This rise did not ail-of it take place in one year. It was gradual for two preceding seasons; ut t le principal elevation was in the summer oiU816. + See note A at the end. of the Sketches. 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 Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe under- took the administration of the province, he issued a proclamation, dated July l6, 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 live 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 Dutidas, 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 SICETGHES OF THE MIDLAND DISTRICT Was composed of foar 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. 4th. The County 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. The Count!/ of YorA-,- 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, Walpole, Woodhouse, 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, South wold, Malahide, Bay ham, 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, Harw'ich, 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, Malden, and the lands of the Hurons, and other Indians upon the strait. UPPER CANADA. 121 The adjacent islands, in the rivers and lakes. S! * were generally annexed to the townships in front of u Inch 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 ij province shall require them. >(] In a few of the townships there is a plat of a II mile square, distinguished as a town, but without fi any distinct corporate privileges. In. some instances, the name of the town is different from that of (D the township, as Brockville, in the township of ij; 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 al belong to the district. The sheriff’s authority is ict commensurate with the district. The commission of the peace extends through the whole district, and (if of course, the jurisdiction of the court of sessions is equally extensive. So is that of the surrogate ^1 court, and the court of assize, &c. The locality ,yl of juries, of real and other local actions, and of jjj 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 j and the district of Ottawa is formed out of d 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 oi 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 SO chains, or a quarter 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, b Niagara district by ridings, which are equivalent to counties. Th* district of Ottawa is still joined to the eastern district, as it coBceW assize courts. — It. G. 1 • UPPER CANADA, 123 “in In several of the first townships the lots were laid only nineteen chains wide, and consequently the Concessions were proportionally wider, to give A- each lot, by an addition of length, its complement m of 200 acres. And in some of the later townships, toll I believe the Concession lines have been drawn so as to make the 200 acre lots shorter and wider, on In the townships bordering upon the lakes and m great rivers, the Concessions were fronted on the ittl(, water. The ranges of townships laid out on each ltd, I side of Yonge street and Dundas street, were fronted j^jon those streets respectively, eifi The Concessions being numbered from the front ,gto the rear of the townships, the lots in each Con- cession were distinguished by their appropriate ijjj numbers, and are commonly described in that man- ®s-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, 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. ti inhabitants of these townships hold annual "* meetings, appoint certain ofticers, and regulate some matters of police agreeably to the provisions It® 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 Town — Townships around the Bay of Quinte — Neiecastk 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 178 1. A brief sketch of the progress and present state of the settlements will be added. Erom 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 Charlottenhury 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 11th, 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 th^ battle of Chrysler’s field, and by the Americans the battle of Williamsburg. 126 SKETCHES OF Johmtown, in the township of Edwardshurg, 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 Brock ville. 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, w'ith 200 volunteers from Ogdensburgb, landed in this village, surprised the guard, and took about 40 prisoners, with some arms, ammunition, and other public stores. From the townships adjoinii>g the Ottawa, and the rivers Rideau and Petite Nation, which empty into the Ottawa, the prod ace is transported in boats down that river to Montreal^ and goods are remitted through the same cbaauel. 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 llideau, 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. 1 he 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 fiom 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 OF 300 other dwelling houses, a number of ware- houses and stores, about 50 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 Por^/awcf north 2 UPPER 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 Seomd 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. JNearly 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 a ove 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 pntle 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- 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. \ l/'PPER CANADA. ]31 Adolphus Town is surrounded on the soutli 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 court house, 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 ol Prince Edward, by a ferry of about a mile. In Myrysburg, Hallowell, Sophianburg, and Arne- liasburg, the four townships of Prince Edward, the peninsula south of the bay of Quinte, there is some rough and waste land ; but a large proportion of no- ble farms under good cultivation. Hallowell is a flourishing village, advantageously situated on the 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 than 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 S 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 ^ittle 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 front, 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, 9 134 SKETCHES OF and 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 the 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 coining 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 llaldimand, in the name of the crown, to the Six Nationsof Indians, to compensate them for their services in the revo- lutionary war, and supply the loss of their lands in the province, now state of Yew 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 OP 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. I37 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 eflTect 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 pantation 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 suflfered by the war. 140 SKETCHES OP 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. Pvevuiling ^Vinds — Weather — Temperature of the Air compared with the same Parallels of Latitude in the United States— Chunge 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 6stiniated 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 riorth. 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. . 142 . SKETCHES OP This ordinary state of the winds is conformable to the lhape 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 Massachusett’s, 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, etoigrated 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 the^ 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. 1 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 8oil.-.R. Q. UPPER CANADA. 145 o ’ 9 . 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 mountainous, 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 t I SKETCHES OP 146 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 valetudinariajis 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 north 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 — W^hiting — 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 Qumte 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 L S 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 laige 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 quantitiesin 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 probaldy 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 diflferent colours in differ- ent places. That of Woodhouse and C harlotteville, 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 inanulacture 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 on 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 Roots — 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 w'lth trees; and after the clearings of more than 50 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. Law’rence. Near the line between Kingston and Ernest towui, 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, abouiid. 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 somie practical improvements in the process of re- ducing the sap to sugar. I'he 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 g«n, 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 down on rafts to the Montreal and Quebec markets, for foreign ex- portation. ^ UPPER CANADA. 153 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 sw’eetish 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 18 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 Flessian 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. WiUl 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 OP 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— Bacoon— Porcupine— Wood- chuck — -Skunk — 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 specific 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 OP 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, which 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 - - - 1 6 Fighting horns - - i 6 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 - - 7 3 Height - - - 4 7 Round the girth or belly - 5 6 the withers - - 4 10 Length of the head - - in 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 a broad 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 veiy suitable for mat< 160 SKETCHES OF 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 - - 5 0 Circumference - _ . 2 9 Fore legs - - - _ 16 Hind legs .... 13 Tail ..... 16 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 wkh 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 Buflbn, is only 133 pounds, 7 ounces. His colour is a dirty black. He feeds upon fruit, ber- M t SKETCHES OF 162 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 j 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. O. 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^econd 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 I great agility over fences and streams. The fawns are red, and beautifully spotted. They are gentle in their nature, and .easily domesticated. M 3 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 stiong, 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 bis 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 dams, 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 m the liighest estimation ail 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 Musk liat^oY MusquasU^ 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 Ions. 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. 1 he 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 Riost 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 barns 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 when assailed or pursued, he ejects, by way of defence, a subtle penetrating fluid, of a musky but intoler- able scent, which infects the air fora 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 While 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 suminer 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 *ery seldom seen. — R, G, 3 UPPER CANADA. 169 That pest of both house and barn, the Rat, was not, until the lite 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 in 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 reqtfire 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. 1 he 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. ]71 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 I^'?h5 pork cannot be afforded for exportation. The poultry of the country consists of turkeys, geese, hens,' ducks, and pigeons. SKETCH XIV.- BIRDS. Gemral List of Birds— Wild Turheys-Geese- Ducks— Canadian Partridye— 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- ?oose, 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 OP 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, andsouthward. They differ very little fromdo- 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 w'oods, 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 301bs.— -R. G- UPPER CANADA. 173 brown ; tho 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-j 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. I'he 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. 17G SKETCHES OF 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 ar^ 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- neral ly k nown . I n 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 the lake. The largest species'ar^ caught most plentifully in the spring, and weigh from 1>5 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. meat is similar in colour, but not so highly fla- voured. I think the proper name of this fish is the salmon The „ex, specie, i, but of a »h,eer meat, aud smaller in size, weighing from 10 to so pounds, and taken in the greatest abundance in ,he fail. This fish is like the front of e brooks, except being larger and without any shmmg rod spots on the sides. For the sake of dis- tmction, he may with propriety be named the «./. moniroul The third is the common brook trout, found in the lakes and the streams communicating with them, and weighing from five pounds down tooneimundandless. This delicate, beautiful fish, oves c ear water and a gravelly bottom t and is not common in the lakes. The fV/iiie 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 resects similar to the herring, abounds in the lakes m different degrees of perfection. In lake Onta- rio, the weight is generally less, sddom more than four pounds ; and the meat, although very good, is not so igh flavoured as the mosquenonge or sal- mon ; whereas Mr. M‘Kenzie states, that it is th^ best m 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 f-lls. they are also caught in great quantities in some parts of lake Ontario, particularly in Chaumont bay, at the south eastern angle of the lake, and also at the mouth of the Niagara, the south western point. The south shore ot the lake in general seems N SKETCHES OP 178 to be more favourable to 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 of a superior size. His head is elongated ; the nose heaked, 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 ; thetailiorked ; thedorsal fin (of one weighing lbs.) having 18 rays, the anal fin U, 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 and colour, but not quite so green on the hack, 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 3f 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 giU UPPER CvINADa. «ns IS rays each ; thedistance between ih. ‘"<1 gill fins about an inch. The pike and pickerel are described with th- P«, clarity, in consequeMeof the indistinctne^’ id confusion, which have prevailed •l-ent, theirTaL^n:: '"5 ■ndtscritninately; and in othera they are if Cteged the former being misnamed the pick" I and the latter the pike. P'CKcreJ, There are three species of lake Bass; the striped ZTZft "-'"S pnrticuL If T' i" »■»« P rs of colour and magnitude, they have a I?ht excel. *ent. 1 he black bass is the best. a Do''nnd'‘" j’’™ “loK -ry ca;;,: ^ ■"« . The Cal FM of the lakes is from one to two feet ng; the head large and round, with two sharp jns, about two inches in length; the space be- »ecn the eyes, w.de; the body without scales ound and tapering from the head towards the tail.’ e fins bony and sharp ; the colour a dark brown.’ inclining to purple, except under the belly, which » whitish ; the weight from fire to 20 polt the meat fat and Of a good flavour. he £el Poiu is singularly shaped, the body ^•ng thick anti the head flattened horizontally, aving on it prickly knobs, but no long thorns as We Gat fish has; shovel-nosed; not scaly; in ft V ■ - 'f lOllP 180 SKETCHES OP c-olour 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 coloure, 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-Jinned suckers, one of w hie 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 an 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. Xhis 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 of 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 182 SKETCHES OF gill 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 ©f 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, W'hen 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 head 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 t along. The fish coming up to the top of the water, takes the hook, and is drawn in by hand. Fishing, in short, unite more at the discretion of the crown. They are appointed by his Majesty. The mode UPPBE CANADA. 19X of their appointment is by writ of summons, under the great seal ot the Province, issued pursuant to a mandamus under his Majesty’s sign manual. The tenure of 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 permission, 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 iss 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 the 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 reijuired 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 naember 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 a femme 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. 7, 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- 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. UPPER CANADA. The 7,h and 8th of Will. III. c. 34, authorizea solemn affirmation ofa Quaker instead of an oath, m all cases except three. The 8th of Geo I C. 6, prescnbed a form of affirmation. A donbi alll V"*'”’ affirmation could be Ho»ed in a case, where, by a subsequent statute an oath ,s required without any provision for the’ substitution of a Quaker’s affirLtion, the id of Geo II. c. 46. sect. .36, for removing that douh enacted and declarod, -That in all case, whi^in hy any act or acts of Pariiament, now in foroe, or aulir'^-^'^ 'a c ”****'’ “ or shall be allowed, onsed, directed, or required, the solemn de- claration of any of the people called Quakem, in the form p^cribed by the said act, made in the S t year of his said late Migesty's reign, shall be allowed and taken instead of such oath, although 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- n^ter such oath, shall be, and hereby are authorized d required to administer the solemn affirmation r declaration; and the solemn affirmation or declaration so made, as aforesaid, shall be adjudged ^ and is hereby enacted and declared to ^ of the same force and effect, to all intents and purpose, in ail courts of justice and otJter places, where by law an oath is or shall be allowed, au- orized, directed, or required, as if such Quaker uad 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 S SKETCHES OF 196 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 91 years of age, and a British subject by birth, naturalization, or the conquest and cession of Canada. 9d. 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 49d 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. J97 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. Kobhn and Willson, in which a majority of the Assembly are of opinion that those two members, being exhorters, although laymen, were within die 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 1793, 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 hona Jide subject of the King for seven years next preceding, should be eligible until after seven yeacs residence ; and by another 198 SKETCHES OF 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 900 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. W 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, texcept 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. u 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 form 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 commence a session without being met and opened by the governor. The house elect their own speaker, who is pre- sented to the governor 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 jjy the Council, although there is no express provision to that effect in the consti- tutional act. Jn 1816, the Council passed and sent down to the>Houseof 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, and refused to act upon it. A bill passed by the Council and Assembly is •202 SKETCHES OP 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 may be 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 r 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. HI. (1778) it was declared, “ That the King and Parliament of 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 no 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 oftthe 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. 'I/* EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT. ijX^cutive Powers vested solely in the King — Pis Majesty s Representative in the Province — Ap- pointment of principal Officers — Their Salaries j 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 the members 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 — Cmirt 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 Prohate — 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 duly, 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 goncrsi 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^ commissionera, 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 exceeds 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 9 208 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 Eno-- 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 31 st of George III. 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 cotirt 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 not 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 owtj 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 he generally satisfactory in their operation as well ns 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- aton, down to the present time. Having the his- tory of former cases thus set before them, and knowing that their own Judicial opinions, with p 2 212 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 imputable 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 ; yet if their decisions, with the treasons 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 ol 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 V 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 Coin — Gold, when to be weighed in Bulk — Copper Coin — Provincial Cwr- reney 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 5 6 1 3 4 The Portuguese Johannes 18 0 4 0 0 Ditto Moidore 6 18 1 10 0 Spanish milled Doubloon, or"^ four Pistole pieces - - j 17 0 3 14 6 French Louis d’or, coined^ before 1793 - - - - ^ 5 4 1 2 8 French Pistole piece - - - 4 4 0 18 3 American Eagle - . - - 11 6 2 10 0 British Crown - - - - - 0 5 6 French do. coined before 1793 0 5 6 Spanish Dollar .... 0 4 0 American do. . - . - - 0 5 0 French piece of four Livres,"^ 0 4 2 ten Sols Tournois - - > Do. Thirty-six Sols - - - 1 8 216 SKETCHES OF Dwt. Gr. £. s. d. French piece of Twenty four Sols 0 1 l English Shilling - - - . 0 1 l Spanish Pistareen - - - 0 1 0 And all the higher and lower denominations of the said gold and silver coins in the same pro|>ortion, 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 same." - - - - 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 Emjcujement of the British Parliament not to tax the Provinces — British Impost Duties collected at Quebec — Their Appropriation — Du- Im 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 Highways. The engagement ot 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. A 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 dut}'^ 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 diflferent 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, 1 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 dd. 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, Avas - . . 1304 0 0 4th. Duties on licences to hawkers, pedlars, and petty chapmen, amounting in 1810 to ... 420 0 0 £8072 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-Lae^ in 1809 and 1810, with the Duties for the last Year, In 1809. Gallons, J amaica Spi- rits or Rum 8G,207 Gallons>ForeignBran- dy and Spirits 8,415 Gallons, Molasses .. l,656j Gallons, Madeira Wine 3^375 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. Snufi', or Flower of Tobacco 5,101 Pounds, Manufactur- ed Tobacco 23,9 lOi Packs, Playing Cards 1 ,768 Minots’*' of Salt 9,322^ Pounds, Green Teas, Souchong 34,047J Pounds, Bohea Tea. .. 2,320 Do. Hyson, Do 2,83LJ 87,6924 at 6d. 2,192 11,7484 at 6d. 293 9134 at 5d. 19 2,8384 at 9d. 106 22,1 114 at 6d. 552 ),227 at Id. In 1810. 450, 95,156 at4d. 5,481 at 2d. 209 198 45 r. d. 6 3 14 3 0 74 8 104 15 9 5 7 4 104 13 6 A Statement of Dutied Goods Imported from the U nited States in 1809 and 1810. Ini 809. 3,038 at4d. 50 12 0 22,81 14 at 3d. 1,814 at 2d. 4,751 at4d. 45,o58 at 4d. 944 at 2d. 1,355 at6d. 2a5 15 79 759 7 33 2 104 2 4 3 8 7 6 17 4 17 6 c^^4,8^l8 12 11 7864 9654 193 267 6904 3,0874 82 1,1594 40, .5384 36 18,5384 22,9 10| 3,9114 2,2674 InISlO. 3,6674 1,347 96 622 1,980 16,4764 615 1,7364 69,2064 23,773 15,9104 2.447 1,923 A St^ement of Moneys colUcUd within the several Districts on »nop. Innkeepers, and Still Licences, issued between January 5, 1810, and January 5, 1811, after deducting the Inspector's Com- mission 0 / 10 per cent. Home District London Johnstown , , . Eastern Newcastle . . . Western Midland St. Joseph’s. . Total No. of Shop Licences. No, of lankecp- ers Lict nces. Stills—No.of Gallons. Net Revenue. IP 19 2022 i £ s. d. 1 147 18 9 3 8 1909 1 117 6 24 31 47 4120 1 301 18 9 13 43 21 i 61 14 li 1.5 52 40 1 1 62 11 0 2 19 1293 91 12 7J 22 10 2412 164 9 6 23 66 48494 352 17 Ilf 4 — 3 12 0 132 1 264 16,847| 1 1304 1 114 • 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. Theduties 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 ^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 firoperty is not assessed at all. The direct taxes of the several districts, for one year, ending March 1, 1811, were as follows: Eastern District ------- ^27 8 2 Johnstown - -- -- -- - 451 8 If Midland - -- -- -- -- 690 14 8 Newcastle - -- -- -- - I8O 2 Home - -- -- -- -- - 479 11 71 Niagara - -- -- -- -- IO6O 4 5 London - -- -- -- -- 279 17 S| Western - - 364 10 If Total *4,133 lb 7 * Some additional duties liave been laid, and tbe 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 j 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 lio-ht. 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 ia the important question. How comes it that Upper Canada, with all these benefits, and whose settlement began tea 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 Bills — 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 CANADA. 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 proyince. 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 leas in- debted than they, were before the war. The pub- lic expenditures threw into circulation an unusual UPPER CilNAOA. •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- 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. Q 2 228 SKETCHES OP 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 hanks 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. Array 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 Diity—Reffiments-. Battalions— Companies— Their Officers— Annual Review— Company Trainings— Temporary Mi- litia Acts daring the War, Lhe 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 ternj, 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 8KETCH XXV. RELIGION AND ECCLESIASTIC INSTI- TUTIONS. The Episcopal Church supported by Government— Chrgy Reserves— Lieutenant- Governor's Autho- rity to endow Parsonages and Rectories, and present Incumbents— Number, Stations, and Sup- port of Episcopal Clergy men— Bishop— Dissenters piotected by Lmw 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 w’ill 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. In Upper Canada there are six ministers of the church of England, situated at Cornwall, Kingston, UPPER CANADA. 2.S3 Ernest Town, and Fredericksburgh*, York, Nia- gara, and Sandwich, They severally receive ^6100 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 isamember 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, Congregationalists, 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 Laoghom to his native place in England. 234 SKETCHES OP 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, Menonists, 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 liente- nant-govern 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, ejjcept 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 179-5, an act .of the legislature of Upper Ca- nada, repealing, in general terms, all former laws on 236 SKETCHES OF 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 aet 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 £l00 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. 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 ef apprenticeship to this province has been controverted by a bar- rister of ^reat 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, sul^ect 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, hut in case of a Debt certain, and above AOs. —Oath required before taking out a Capias— A poor Debtor to he discharged from Prison, or supported there hg 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 .£10 sterling, and the debtor hasl>een 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 law, 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 OP SKETCH XXX. GRADUAL ABOLITION OF SLAVERY. Importation of Slaves prohibited — The Right of Masters to their Slaves confirmed — Their Chil- dren to he 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 ot 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. rppx:R CANADA. 241 The principle or 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 j)erformin() settling Duties -The Policy of encouraging Settlements -Labour the Standard of Value and Means of Wealth, and the Quantum of Labour proportioned to the Pojmlation— 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 pul>lic 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 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 ol surveying, and fees ofolFice, amount to about doiiars on a lot; and the duties ot set.ieinent required, are the ctear- K 242 SKKTOltE^ OP 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- nolny, 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 CANABA. 243 where the objects and materials of labour, particu- larly lands, are abundant, and consequently cheap. The neighbouring slate of New Yprk furnisheJ 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, tour or five hundred miles. 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 tliird of whom have been added in the last ten years. Their wealth, and strength, and resources, and the value of their landed 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 natii- •ral state, are waiting for the hand of the cultivator, K 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 Schxtols— Causes of the former Neglect of Education— Little Reading — Few Rooks— Indi- cations of a favourable Change— Multiplicaiion of Books — Social Libraries — An increasing Task 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 lo 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 piocure 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 aflford much expence for instructors, nor allow their 246 SKETCHES OP children much time for receivintf 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 various places ; and subscribers at a small expence 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- sidt-red. Gentlemen of competent means appear to be sensible of the importance of giving iheir children academical learning, and ambitious to do it without sending them abroad for the purpose. Among other indications of the prepress 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 tht UPPER CANADA. 247 SKETCH XXXIII. CHARACTER, MANNERS. AND CUS- TOMS OF THE INHABITANTS. ' Mixed National Character— -Anglo-Americans^. People not agitated bg Politics— Prejudices exr cited bg the late War— Rural Manners— Popular . l>iversions—Dancing-.Athletic Sports — Social Scenes—Little Progress of Luxurg—Carriages— Sleighing Parties-Travelling Accommodations —Fishing— Dress— Manner of Living and Stgle of Building compared with those of the United Smes-Smoking-Use of Ardent Spirits-Pugi- lism — Chereverreeing—Holgdags — 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- niunerated them tor their revolutionmy losses, made them liberal grants of land to settle on, with fann- ing tools, building materials and provisions, to faci- litate their settlement, and is still granting lands to their chihlren 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 piloted 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 LowerCanada, 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, af'nity, 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- r.dly flows from old to new settlements. These causes, combined with the fertility of the Canadian soil, t..e 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 'in Lower Canada, but blended and intermixed with the former inhabitants. This intermixture produces no effervescence, personal or political. Polities, 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 parti« s, 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 of 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* 250 filKETCHES OF 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 reHneraents / 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 carriages ; 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 ,p 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. 31 st. 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 0 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. 281 MALDEN. At a Meeting of the principal Inhabitants of the Township of Malden, at William Searl's Hotel, William Caldwell, Esq. in the Chair, and Mr. Alexis Maisonville, Secretary . — Unanimovsly 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. 6 th. 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. fid. 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 10 s. per diem. 282 WESTERN DISTRICT, 16th. Common labourers get 301. per annum ; 50s. per winter month ; .75s. per summer month; 5s. per (lay in harve.st ; 7s. 6d. per week is given to women servants, for house-work. 17th. Mowing, 5si; and cradling, vs. 6d. perday. 18th. £5. is the rate for clearnig and fencing an acre of land. * .y ' A '. 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. Od. , , ' 20th. Small sheep yield from three to four lb. of wool ; the larger breed about 8lb. ; the price of wool is from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per lb. 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 lb. 26th. New land, in the first instance, is planted with corn; the ensuing season, wheat or oats are sown. , <- / . 1 < I . » r ; i TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 283 27th. A very small quantity of wild laud is let on halves at present, for want of inhabitants. 28th. At first settlement, the price of land was . from Is. to 3s. per acre; the present price is 2os. 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 ot 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.C ALDWELL, J. P. Chairman. A. Maisonville, Secretary. 284 WESTERN DISTRICT. RALEIGH. 9 Mr. Robert Gourlay, Raleigh, Id 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. 104d. 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 75 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 95l. 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. 9tb. 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.* 11th. 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. 17s. 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. 10|d. per lb. l6th. Labourers, 21. 10s. in winter, and 3l. 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. 123. 6d. 19. A four-year old work horse, £l5. A four- year old cow, 51. 12s. 6d. A sheep, ^i. 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. . 2 1st. 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 Fndian 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, I'he same lands are now selling at £^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 TOWNSHll> 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, pnerally 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 banks 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 nHarwich, within half a mile of the Thames, part of which is considered of the best quality of land in the township. 3 1 St. 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. 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, Thos. Crow', James Forsyth, Heeckia Willcox John Laird, Francis Drake, John Williams, Jacob Dolson, Daniel Dolson, Geo. Jacob, Jun. Wm. Stirling, John Peck, Ninian Holmes. NOTE. In the following Report, page 293, a canal i$ mentioned as practicable between the townships of Raleigh and Tilbury east, from the Thames to lake Erie ; and, no douhl, 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 take St. Clair to that of lake Erie. Mr. Dencke, the Moravian missionary, told me that he was at the meeiing, and gave his opinion that the fall was not more than 15 feet. 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 toivnships; but neither the map, nor the record of civil divisions. Justifies this. Lord Selkirk's purchase of upvards 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; Cauiden 17; Harwich 19; Howard 25; Orford (see Sup- plement). .The said townships commenced settling inti 794. 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 mill — rate one quarter of the timber when sawtd. [See Supple- ment.) 9th. A level surface generally throughout the said townships ; soil of the first quality^ tlie sur- face ol which is a black light loam, with a grey clay under, and void of stone of any description what- ever. loth. Beech, black ash, white ash, red arid white oak, hickory, black and white walnut, iiudeu, bass r 2 292 WESTERN DISTRICT. wood, by some called white wood, maple, wild cherry, chestnyt, tulip. 11th. (Referred to the Rev. C. F. Denkey), see Supplement. 12th. Brick is made, atid sells at 35s. per thou- sand. Hth. None. 15th. Carpenters’ and smiths’ wages 7s. 6d. per day. — Masons’ 10s. per day. l6th. Men’s wages average at jg30 per annum : in the winter months 40s. ; summer months 70s.; days in harvest 5s. ; women’s and girls’ wages at from 5s. to 6s. Sd., 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 ^4 per acre. . 19th. A work horse of four years old from £l3 to 20th. Average wool from Ik 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. i 23dji Sowing season is from the Ist 'September until 10th October. — Reaping wheat commences 1st August. ■ I ' S4th. The'qukntity Of wheat generally sown is xy township reports. 293 five pecks per acre, and the increase frdm one acre IS 25 bushels on an average; but when well culti- vated, will produce from 36 to 40 bushels. 23th. 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 ol being cut between the townships of Ra- leigh and Tilbury East, from the river Thames across, to lake Erie, a distance only of 13 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 bje the means ol draining thousands of acres of land. 3Ist. Fronfythe great quantities of lands held by individuals and absentees, and the want of a popu- lation. . . The quantity of wheat harvested jn the summer 294 WESTERN DISTRICT. of IP 17. small uumbor of 114 farmers resid- ing io the lownships atiove mentioned, was 40,000 bu.^ln Is, and the lands in said townships will pro- duee, in jtroportionable abundance, pease, oats, barley, Indian com, hemp, and flax. JosHi A Cornwall, Chairman. John l)oLi>ON, Assistant Chairman. By Order, Samuel Osborn, Secretary. SUPPLEMENT to the Report of a Convention, i^c. ^c. on the River Thames. Query 3d. In all those named towmships, 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 rown«hip, am in the town of New Fairfield, containing 29 houses and huts, and one church ; say 30 buildings, inhabited by 120 Christian Indians iielonging to the society. The Indians live in 27 houses and hots, then the missionary's and assisiant’s dwellings and a church ; in all JO buildings. Besides these, th**re are wiiileiing upon the tract 47 persons, w ho 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 RKPORTS. 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 com* upwards of 20 years, is now sowed in wheat. Query 8th. As an addition of one tjuarter is given to the sawyer, one quarter goes to the mill master, and the half belongs to the log owners. Query 11th. 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 DENKEvf, Missionary. * When the word Corn is used in Upper Canada, it always means Indian com, 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 hy Mr. Dencke. The Indians under his charge hav'e not increased by breeding since the first Moravian church estab- lishment ; but others come in among them, as will appear from the following table : Years. Baptisms. 1 1 Deaths. Infants. Adults come into Society. 1800 6 2 5 , 1801 6 0 1 ' 1802 / 1 5 1803 12 2 7 1804 13 1 11 1805 4 1 5 1806 7 1 6 1807 4 1 0 1808 5 0 5 1809 0 2 r 1 8 1810 10 0 1811 4 2 2 1812 1 1 3 1813 12 5 26 1814 9 0 20 1815 6 1 9 1816 3 2 11 1817 3 3 6. 114 25 131 : I *11 : " The war will account for the greater number of deaths these years : six were slain in battle. I'.' Mr. D. WMshes 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 BEPORTS. 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 marrij^e. 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, w'hile 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 30 horned cattle, besides a great many hogs and poultry. They have now from 15 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 OP 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, 9798. 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 contradisti option to the old French settlement; and we may suppose them to contain 1900. 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 180. 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 and penetrated within a little way of the Grand river. 'I hcre are now (IS 17) only nine or ten families — say 50. Making the whole white population 4158. The Indians of Orford are slated 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 Loiigwoods, of Indians, denominated Munsies, ori- ginally from the States, but permitted lo settle here by the Chippaw'a Indians. Their number about 200 . There are two regular reserves for Indians in the Western District, viz. that of the Hurons, between Sandwich and Maldin; and the Shawnese tract lying north of Raldooii. The inhabitants of these, with parties which encamp in the w-oods at various places, do not, I presume, make the whole Indian population, in or within 20 miles of surveyed land, amount in whole to lOOO. To the reported population of 2728, there ap- pear to be 3 Homan catholic, 1 episcopal, and 1 methodist, preachers, 5 medical practitioners, 11 schools, and I S 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 defect in the system of colonization. NOTES, EXPLANATOPY, CONTINUED FROM PAGE $73, 13th. Having given the foregoing Beporls 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 rale must be heavy, from repetitions, quite overburdened, lu the following Reports, then, nothing shall be ad- mitted which can be clearly expressed by fguresj arid 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. cliarge for sawing titnbct’ having been sufficiently exemplified abovCf and the practice throughout corresponding tJiereto, answers to the Query regarding these will heneeforth be omitted. Carding machines, an^ the price qf earn- ing wool, will only be noticed sphere these{ efcfit, r !I loth. -s ' (. There are few, if any, wind mills in>the province, save those abovemmUiomd im the western district. All that are reckoned in the tables, are moved by water. NOTES. 301 16 th. A bushel oj" tvhectt^ is so uiiiversolly the ollowonce in sowing an acre, in the earlxj part of the season, that replies, as to that, tvill be henceforth omitted. The quantity is increased as the season gets ad- vanced, to 5 pecks, and in some cases, though few, to Q pecks. ' 17th. The prices of bricks and lime will only be quoted in^ th^ Tables, when made and burnt within the Township. ^ ' . "JV' j y 18th. , The price of Yeapih^ and crad/ifip nrhe'dt ik sd Com- monly stated to ^ that of a bushel of whedt;'that no further notice will be taken' Of it'. Women generally yet for spinning', 1^. more per week, than for house fvork '19th.- To ^Uote olt the Replies to Queries 21s/, 22/1. and ^3d. would be Unnecessarily tedious. I shall, there- fore, only give 'them in two Adjoining Reports of each hisfrict, which will be quite sufficient fbr the reaider* s information. M -Ml 50th. When by any turn of expression, sinpulartty of fact, or otherwise, a reply is worthy of notice, 'it shall Appear 'at length, independent of the above general (>T I'iin : • ■ , 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 loth December, 1817 , for the purpose of considering the propriety of anstvering certain Queries submitted to the Resident iMnd Owners of Upper Canada, by Robert 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 McMillan, Mr. Aaron Kilbourn, Mr. Andrew Banghart, Mr. .Jacobus Shenich, Mr. Joseph Idel, Mr. Joseph Elaningan, Mr. Seth Putman, Sylvanis Reynolds, Mr. James A. Mullet, t& constitute and form a Committee to answer the said Queries, in such a Manner as to them might seem expedient, and' to meet for that Purpose on the n th Instant. The Meeting adjourned. Westminster Plains, 17lh December, 1817. The Committee met pursuant to adjournment, and elected Daniel Springer, Esq. Chairman, and township reports. 503 Mr. Joseph M^ehster, Secretary, when the follow- mg 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, levelf and well watered, with a marly loamy soil, and extensive liats on the 1 hames. lOth. White pine, red and white oak, cherry, elm,b ack walnut, ash, beech, maple,and bass-wood. 11th. 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 ot 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 bramiful situalion during Sim. government. It is now falhng to wreck, a sad monument of an uopnncipleJ departure from libera, m.-ssures.— R. G. + In Westminster there is considerable inequality of surface. he h.gh road at one place rises perhaps 150 feet above the i names.— R. G. LONDON DISTRICT. 304 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. 81st. 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 df 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 wiU 1 TOWNSHIP BEPORTS. 305 be settled soob, unless ipien 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 v\e 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 deyiatoj frpm iitunwjlifttely sjfter Porejrapx WRI recalled. — R. Q. 306 STATISTICAL Shewing the commencement of improvement in Names of Settlert. To what Profeuion bred. NaUve of How Ion; fa Canada. 1— — Family at Home. Henry Crook Farmer and lime burner. Armagh^ Ire- land. Arrived this year, 1817, A wife. Wm. Orr Farmer and weaver. Ditto. Ditto. Wife,2childreii, and sister. John Smith Farmer and shoemaker. United States. 30 years. Wife and 6 chib 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 farmer. Armagh, Ire- land. Arrived this year. Isaac Riley Carpenter and farmer. Ditto. Ditto. Wife not ar- rived. Joseph Tomlinson ... Farmer. United States. 20 years. Wife and 3 dub dren. L’lwronre Renney ... Ditto. Canada. Lifetime. Wife. Samuel Renney Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. — Andrew NevelU ... Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. Wife and 1 child. Daniel McPherson... Ditto. United States. 25 years. Wife and 4 chil- dren. Ourden Chapel Ditto. Ditto. 19 ditto. Wife. Charles Pettys Ditto. Ditto. 30 ditto. Wife and 2 chil- dren. John Curomons Ditto. Diuto. 6 ditto. Ditto. Samuel Hunt Farmerand Cur- rier. Ditto. 6 ditto. Wife and 3 chil- dren. John Vansickel Farmer. Ditto, 11 ditto. Wtfe and 5 diib dren. Aaron Kilburo Millwright. Ditto. 21 ditto. Wife and 7 chtt Andrew Banghart ... Carpenter. Ditto. 9 ditto. Wife and 5ch0. Abraham Sloot Carpenter and Farmer. Canada. Lifetime. Wife and 3 chib dren, father and moUier. Vernum Mathews ... Farmer. United States. 23 years. Wife and 5 chib dren. 21 Farmers, 19 Wives ,51 Children, — ] [n all 94 Persons. The above Table was made out by me when Iravelling* tbroujrb the countiy, and I left schedules to be filled up in Norwich, and on the Talbot lload, which will be found 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 commencio); ^ improvement. o a M 0 X o X 1 •n Number ( Acres pat crop am reaped. Of T iyuo 4cri 1 Oimensim pr of bias'* i*s. erecied. ^ Sze< farui Origrinal cost. 17th August, 1817. S 2 0 0 ' 0 3 20 by 1 8 20C 1 41 Dolitrs and Is. Ditto. 1 2 0 0 0 27 by 1 9 Do. Do. 1st June, 1817 . 2 Bull & 4 0 0 0 7 18 by 11 B Do. .Free, being a yo.caitl € jU. E. loyalist July, 1816. 2 2 0 0 0 15 30 bv I* 1 Do. dlDoIlars&ls. Nov. 1816. 2 0 0 0 10 mo. unwell. i 20 by U ) Dok Do. 1st Oct 1817. 0 0 0 0 0 2i 0 Do. Do. 17th August, 1817. 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 Do. Do. June, 1816. 0 0 0 0 0 7 22 by 17 Do. Do. 1st March, 1817. 2 2 0 0 H ^4 0 Do. Do. Ditto. 1 2 0 0 8 5 20 by 16 Do. Do. Ditto. 0 2 0 0 6 6 26 by 18 Do. Do. Began 1816, Set- tled Sept. 1817. 3 2 2 0 0 5 28 by 20 Do. Do. March, 1817. 1 o 0 0 2 5 21 by 18 D^. Do. Ditto. 2 0 1 7 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, Ditto. 2 2 0 0 4 ] 10 20 by 20 Do. Do. April, Ditto. 3 2 2 12 15 1 15 j 18 by 16 Do. Do. March, Ditto. 2 0 2 0 10 2 12 S 10 by 14 J Do. Do. February, 1 0 0 0 4 H s » by 20 ] Do. F ree, being a Ditto. L E. loyalist. June, Ditto. 3 0 1 0 4 1 0 2 2 by 22 I )o.| 41 Dollars and Is.^ Totals. 32 29 8 : i6 73 1 J ^ The fees were lately raised from 9/. 7f. Gi/. to this sum. X 9 308 LONDON DISTRICT. OXFORD. At a Meeting of the Resident Landholders of the Tonmship of Oxford, held at the School-house on Wednesday the 2Ath 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 Robert 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. 11th. Abundance of limestone: a sulphur spring. 12th. None. 21st. Ordinary time of turning out beaststopas- ture,firstof April; and taking them in, IstDecember. 22d. Sleighing, two months; ploughing com- mences 1st of April. 23d. Wheat sown in September, and reaped in August. ,1 „r 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. 30th. Roads tolerably good ; can be much im- proved at a moderate expence ; 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 Teepee, Chairman. 310 LONDON DISTRICT. BLENHEIM AND THE FIRST CONGES- 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. 11th. 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. 2.5th. 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 urlay. ar 9th. The soil is chiefly clay, with a rich surface. ^ 10th. It abounds with most kinds of timber. The most abounding is oak. 11th. 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 rea|}ing 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. 2(ith. The usual course of crops are, first, wheat, then Indian corn, or any other grain : and manure is chiefly used tor 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. 3Ist. 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. 32* LONDOK 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 SOth 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 RBPORTS. 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. 2(}th. 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. 3 1st. It is the opinion of this meeting, that the improvement of this township is much retarded by large tracts ot 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. Cui.ver, Chairman to the Meeting. CHARLOTTEVILLE. December 13/A, 1817. Pursuant to Notice from the Magistrates of the Di~ vision, a Number of the Farmers an4 other Re- Y 2 LONDON DISTRICT. 324 sident Land Owners of the Township, have this day met at the Court-House, to consider of and reply to the Queries, put by Mr. Gourlay, 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. 11th. 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 Creeky Dec. Athy 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. u 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 ©re has yet been found in this part of the Proviuce; 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 believe, 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 would 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. 326 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, 7id. per pound. 18th. Five acres of heavy timbered land, may be cleared and fenced for about 25l. Ihe 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 flot ask for the promise, until the inhabitants of the country will be my bondsmen, for the benefits arising from the iron works. When 1 saw you, I offered a considerable sum of money to take them off my hands ^ this T 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, m this country, will start many thousand dollars a-head of me; every thing they want, except stone, will be had here; the beet 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. 827 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 /is. per acre ; but will now average about ll. 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. 29th. 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 Daniejl Freeman, Chairman. WALSINGHAM. To Mr. Robert G»urlay. Dec. &th, 1817. Sir, In compliance with your request, we, the inhabitant householders of the township of Walsingham, have convened ourselves, for the pur- S LONDON DISTRICT. 328 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. 11th. No minerals of any description have as yet been discovered. 12th. None. « 18th. Five acres of wood land may be cleared and fenced from 131. to 201. ; all expence accruing, to be borne by the party performing the labour. 25th. Pasture excellent; butter and cheese sells from 7id. to Is. 3d. 26th. Cropping on new land not practised; manure necessary for Indian corn and potatoes. 27 th. Land is usually let on shares for one half, provided the proprietor furnish seed and team. 29th. Half of th% 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, 320 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, Michael Troyer, Assessor, James Me, Call, John Becker, John Dutch, Samuel Brown, Abraham Smith, Cornwall Ellis, Paul Drestin, Jun. Henry Smith, Paul Drestin, Sen. John Killmaster, Anthony Pike, Jeremiah Wolfen, Fred. Baumwart, Tobias Laman, Jacob Cope, Henry Becker. MIDDLETON. Sir, Dec. 8tk, 1817. H A VI NG 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 LONDON 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. 11th. 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 Houghton 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 Coliman, Chairman. James Brown, Town Clerk. George Coltman, James Coltman, Joseph Wood, John Young, Elijah Harris, Hezekiah Cart- wright,; > Michael Culp, David Adair, James Morehouse, Joshua Brown, Samuel Brown, Brenten Brown, Esekiah OverbauG; Joseph Adair, Peter Newkirk, Moses Brown, Ab. Brow'n. NORWICH. At a Town Meeting, held in the Township of Nor- wich the 6th of the \stMonth, 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.-1* board and lodging found. * See Supplement to this Report. This must mean the schoolmaster’s salary. — R. G. TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 33.3 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 ll. 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. 11th. 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. 6d. ; blacksmith’s work about Is. 3d. per lb. iron included. 534 LONDON DISTRICT. 25th. Timothy and c lover is most common, and grows liixnriantly : 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 woexis; a good cow gives, per day, four gallons of milk, producing good butter and cheese: price of butter 9d. and cheese 7|d. per pound. 26th. l^irst crop has gencTally 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 attainable, 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 30 miles; it is clothed with pine timber, and many good mill seats. 31st. Land held in fee by distant owners in large quantities, not responsible for defraying anv charges for opening roads, while the whole burden talh on actual settlers, is a hinderance to the growth ol th« 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- mg of bridges, removing of obstructions in boatable waters, are prominent objects to promote the pros- perity of this country. (Signed) Peter Lossing. Elias Moore. John Throckmorton. Peter M'Lees. William Ccrtis. 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. 336 STATISTICAL Shewing the Progress of Improvement Name* of Rcsideou. 8 91 K w HI (« M » o 1 Date of commrncinf Im* 1 provemeot. Family, consistiog of Number of Acres owned. Extent of Crop put in first Season. Do. second Season. 1 Do. third Season. c 1 Ui J3 t S £ I « jt a « e 1 w 5 X d Q 1 1 •s 0 Z Peter Lossing. Diitchcbs SpniiR of Wife and County, 1811 6 childr. 300 14 20 23 25 28 30 3 State of N. York Michael Stover. Ditto lateinthe Do. and 9 sea-on. children 1000 4 11 13 16 13 15 1 Fred. Stover. Ditto Ditto Do and 6 1 children ; I 0(10 4 10 10 10 18 18 3 Adam Stover. Ditto Ditto Do. ail'* 5 children 1000 0 o 9 18 18 14 0 Sears Mold. Ditto 1811 Do. ai'd 6 reserve children 100 8 14 16 18 20 0 Sam. Cornwell. Ditto Ditto Do. and 9 < hi dren 200 0 16 20 22 23 25 1 Elias Moore. Nova Ditto Do. and 5 Soo'ia cb.ldien 400 0 24 24 28 30 44 2 John Syple. Altiany Ditto D«>. and 5 Street, childicn 200 0 18 18 20 22 30 0 N. York Sol. Sackrider. Dutchess Di to Do. and 5 County, children 200 0 20 25 26 2f 27 2 State of N York Peter De Long. Ditto Ditto Do. and 5 children 4(0 7 25 24 28 28 30 3 Peter M‘Lees. Ditto Ditto Do. and? cmloicn 400 0 4 5 1 5 6 8 1 11 Farmers 89 Persons 11 wi\es, 67 children. 5,20 37 165 185214 23( 261 P 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. e C "o 0 Z 0 ■O t *0 o z a > o a h w * o“- o X c ■c c «. 0 *0 d Z d •o 1 "o d Z j No. of young Cuttle, do. A V V JB *5 d z Number of Acre* now under Improvement, Plough and Meadow. Bushels of Wheat, last Crop. 1 Bushels of Corn, Oats, ' and Pease. S O 1 'o J9 1 3 a Money expended. The first work of all, on settling, is the erec- tion of a temporary log house. New Buildings. 0 3 2 2 8 18 26 80 300 300 1000 of* 200 Frame Bam and Timber House. 2 2 2 2 7 24 39 60 400 350 100 120 Frame Barn. 2 4 3 2 7 11 18 70 260 300 200 360 Frame Barn and House. 2 2 3 0 6 16 26 80 100 120 60 H Log House and Barn. 0 2 2 2 4 6 16 50 200 80 100 1 Frame Barn. 2 2 2 4 4 6 26 55 200 220 300 62^ Log House and Barn. 2 1 4 6 9 14 20 100 600 150 200 300 Two Frame Barns. 2 2 3 0 6 14 13 40 2C0 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 24 100 160 300 160 100 Frame Bam. 2 2 1 2 8 1 11 19 40 260 100 320 36 Frame Bam. 20i 28 26 ‘ 27 73 J I34'245! 736 J75o|s 2320 2830 'l242| 12 barns and 6 houses. 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. 6, 338 I.ONDON 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 ansivered 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 w'alnut, hickory, cherry, white pine of a superior quality, and oak of different kinds, chest- nut; the above timber generally stands in equal proportions. 11th. Limestone and iron ore in abundance. 12th. None. 14th. No lime burnt for sale. 15th. Blacksmiths, being found with shop tools and coal, wages 10s. per day. 3 township reports. 339 Iftth. Price of sheep, eM^es, 15s. ; and wethers, 11. weigliing, when fatted, from 2u 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 and 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 lOOlb. 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 101b. 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. 6d. per acre, and large quantities not located. 80th. Talbot street leads through the township, about 7 miles from the lake. Ottawa river, leadinsr through the centre of the township, and is navi- gable for boats of 20 tons, for forty miles from the mouth. z 2 LONDON DISTRICT. 340 3lst. 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. Samuel Edison. Samuel Shwarts. William Hatt. Ezekiel Forsyth. John Lodor. John Saxton, Sen. William Saxton. John Saxton, Jun. Moses Edison. James Russell. William Raymond. Thomas Edison. Joseph Merill, John Edison. M. Edison. James Wilson. Dennis Dawltr. Alexander Saxton. 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 chosen Chairman, 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. loth. Maple, beech, elm, white and red oak white and black ash, basswood and ironwood. 11th. No minerals discovered; some quarries of limestone. 12th. Few building stones have been found. 13th. No bricks have been made in this town- shjp. 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 LONDON DISTRICT. of the province ; and would doubtleas, 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 Davies, Secretai-y. YARMOUTH. At a Meeting of the Settlers of the Township of Yarmouth, assembled at the Inn of Justice Wileox, on Talbot Road, on the H)lh Dag of December, 1817, for the purpose of considering the Address of Robert Gourlog, Esq. of October last, to the Land Owners of Upper Canada, Captain Daniel Rapelje was chosen Chairman, and Adjutant James NeviVs Secretarg, 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 ; re- markably well watered with living springs, rivulets, &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. 11th. Limestone in many places. Many mine- ral springs; their qualities not ascertained. TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 343 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, 1 2s. (>d.; and other piece work in proportion. Carpenter’s wages 10s. 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 summers 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 30,0(X) 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- provementof 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 ' LONDON 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 of Southwold, assembled at the Hotise of Mr. Alex- ander Ross, of Talbot Road, in the said Township, on the \Oth 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 i basswood, and iron wood. TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 346 ilth. No minerals have been discovered. 12th. No building stones; but several quarries of limestone have been discovered. 13th. Very few bricks have been made. 14th. No lime has been burned; but several quarries of limestone have been discovered. J5th. There are but two blacksmiths, who charge high. But little carpenters’ and masons’ work has been done ; the inhabitants as yet living principally in round log-houses, which they con- struct themselves. 26th. 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. 2Cth. 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. 3 1st. 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. Bdrwell, Chairman. Alexander Ross, Secretary. DUNWICH. At a Meeting of all the Inhabitants of the Tonmship of Dnnnnch, assembled at the House of Mr. Singleton Gardiner, on Talbot Road, in the said Tonmship, the llt/i day of December, 1817, to 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 Cluiir- 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. 847 2d. 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 1S09 and 10. There are supposed to be about 500 souls in the township, and about 100 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. 11th. 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. Very 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 ; 2ddo.ryeand Timothy, with clover; when the sod is broken up, we summer fallow and sow with wheat again; no manure has as yet been applied. 2i»th. 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 crowm 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 and 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 Inhahitants of the Toivn- ship of Aldborough, assembled at the House of Mr. Archibald Gillies, of Talbot Road, in said Township, on the \Uh 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. cf October last. Captain Leslie Paterson was chosen Chairman, and Mr. Archibald Gillies, Secretary, when the following were adopted as Answers to the said Queries. 2cl. 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. 11th. 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. 13th. No blacksmiths, masons, or carpenters, who work at their professions. 2oth. Natural pasture good. Not ascertained what an ox will gain by a summer’s run. Milk and butter excellent, but none for sale. / V 350 LONDON DISTRICT 26th. The first crop is wheat, the second rye or 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 hy a pei son who once farmed in England^ and is now a magistrate and landholder in Uppe)' Canada, may not he without interest to some Readei'S. Sir, Walsinofliani, Dec. 9, 1817. Inclosed you have the Report of Bay ham, Middleton, and Howton, which are correct. Please pardon me for troubling’ you with the following account, any part of which you may think worth notice, you are at liberty to publish in England. 1 rented a farm of 240 acres of land in the North Riding of Yorkshire, sold my stock and farming utensils, which was all the fortune 1 had, amounting to about .500 guineas; 1 concluded this small sum w'ould go a little way in pro- viding for my family in any business that 1 could take bold of in that country. 1 consulted my friend General Hale w hat w’as best for me to do ; lie 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 ; lauded at Philadelphia late in the summer; spent my time in Yew York until Jnne, 1794. I could not get a passage early in the spring, on account of an em- bargo. 1 arrived at Niagara the 28th ot July, 1794, and was kindly received by the Governor ; by this time I had spent the principal part of the money I had brought w ith me ; for out of 600, 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 w^arm friend and supporter. From him I rented a farm for seven yeai-s, for which I paid him 100 dollars per annum. He lent me money to buy 20 cows, which cost 500 dollars. I had hut 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, 1796, which succeeded beyond my expectation ; I seldom had in my township reports, 351 31st. The lands owned b); 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, M'hich 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 Oillies, Secretary. dairy room any cheese, that was more than three months old « sold h. I f r" ^ which 1 sold , for ^ dol. per lb. 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. Cheese through the summer season Loose butter throughout theyeor,. joo Twenty calves reared to the last November] 100 Filteen pigs fed with whey ].!!!! 150 ^ p 1 V .V , r, year 1550 Grass fed beef 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 a.ssured by some of my countrv- nien ; 1 did not credit the report ; determined to know by experience turned two lean oxen into a small field two acres and a half, the 10th day ot April; they had no other pasture nor feed of any kind : they were killed the last day of November ; the four ipiarters of the first weighi d 820 lb. and had 125 lb. tallow, the four ipiarters of the second weighed 78o Ih. and had 115 lb. tallow; I then winter fatted four wethers, which were worth in the fall four dols. ^ter head ; they made roe IHJ duis ptr head ; winter feeding of cattle or sheep may be prac- tised here with success, and will leave large profits ; the principal ob- jection to winter feeding is the want of laoour ; turnips can he raised here without any manure, or even ploughing. Clear off new land, sow the seeear 1814. The progress therefore wbic J have made in the improvement of their farms, and increase of their less than it would have been had the war nut existed. Each settler of land. Those marked U. E. got their land for nothiag from goverifmeni. paid fees amounting to 78« 6d. each. - TABLE, 353 Talbot Boad, in the London District* »1 I 39 I 14 I 75 Total Stock, 1817, Stock al the present Timt No. of Acres cleared, and put Into Crop 1 - . , 1 and iMrvf siod up to ChrLtma^ is t. I, Total Nmn- Estinatcd No. of'No. Cow*, toxen 1 So. Horse No. c - si,e«, f Fir- ) Yea Sec r. Yea Thir r. Yeai d^Fonrt r. Year h FitW . Ytai 1 Si\U r. Yc.n - cleared up to the pri > sent Tine, r. Farm, with its Improve menu at (his Time. 5 3 2 20 6 14 20 8 13 ... CO ^550 3 4 2 ... 8 12 10 10 ... ... 40 4.50 3 2 1 ... 2 3 7 8 ... ... 20 340 2 ... ... ... 1 4 5 ... ... ... 10 300 5 2 2 12 4 5 5 4 14 ... 38 410 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 8 2 ... ... 1 3 3 3 5 8 23 365 1 ... ... ... 4 •• ... ... ... ... 4 270 2 2 ... 3 7 10 300 2 2 ... ... 1 2 *3 2 • •• 8 290 4 2 ••1 ... 2 4 5 U ... ... 22 360 4 2 2 ... 5 5 5 7 8 30 400 4 2 ... 16 7 3 6 6 10 n 43 465 2 ... 1 • •• 1 2 3 4 10 300 4 2 ... ... 1 2 4 5 ... ... 12 310 4 ... • •• ... 6 6 ... •V ... ... 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 • Those market! vith an aaiertsk, had each a horse at first settlement. The orij^nal Table contained 25 more names; but the above are quite enough for the purpose of this publication. 354 STATISTICAL Composed of Extracts from the Township 1 i s Names of 9 O ■| i S c ^ Townsliips* 1 e ? 1 ia 'e ^ u c a Delaware 1 1795 18 8( Westmiii-I ster.. ..1 1811 107 Dorches- ter .... Oxford .J 1 1795 76 530 Blenheim, 1 &c 1797 31 15> Burforil Al its Gore i', 93 100 55<'> Windham i';9i 48 29a 1 Townsend nge 120 716 Walpole 1 and Rainham . . 179a 47 247 Wood- house .. , 1794 ^ 100 711 Charlotte vine . . 179j ) 13^ ! 900 Walsln^- ham .. . 179 1 sf > 337 Middle- ton . . . . 181! 5 S< ) .. Norwich .1801 8. .. - Bayham . 181; 8 J .. In the fifth and sixth columns B. stands for Baptist; M. for Methodist, TABLE .355 Reports of the London District. u 1^1 gi » I § w s 2^ 3 Ts L. L, 9 10, 3 15 9 10 3 15 9 lof 3 15 5 9 0 9 5 3 0 9 0 9 0 5 06 0 I 06 a 15 6 0 6 (• u e i ta . = 2 i 1 •e 9 .0 J 21 s ^ ra * v .* » St !?1 cS M 0 ii > V) la c w » p's < < n < < > a. d. a. ft. L. a. L. 9 . L. 9 . L. 9 . 1 a.d. 1 ► '» 0 6 a 96 0 15 0 6 5 15 0! lb. 9. d. 96 0 19 15 IS 16 15 6 3 3 0 3 5 9 o' 3 9 6 0 6 0, 17 10 1 19 9 10 9 0 9 0 9 0 9 5 9 0 9 0 41 8 ^ 05 0 18 16 8:6 0^ 31 6 16 6 15 0 ! 6 6 10 0 15 0 5 0 0^6 0. 15 0 3 0 6 0^ 19 10 .. 5 0 95 0 3 7 5 o|5 0 19 9 3 15 5 0 5 0^ 99 10 4 05 05 0 3 0 5 o| 3 05050 3 O 3 10 6 0 3 10,5 0 .. 18 15 95 0 95 0 95 0 80 0 97 10 95 0| 6 5 15 0 5 8 I 20 Oi 5 0 15 0 5 0 15 0 5 0 17 10 6 10 13 15 Si < 0 16 5 15 O 16 6 15 0 15 0 15 0 16 0 16 0 5 19 5 19 6 5 8 1519 6 10 oi e 6 I 8 9 19 4l| l f ■ 8 15 10 0, 3 * 6 5 19 0 6 5 19 6 19 6 9 15 9 6 6 18 9 8 7 10 61 11 81 3 9 63 8 4 I 79 6 5 1 5 0 9 6 5 0 6 0 19 6 3i 15 0 U 6 17 6 19 6 19 6 5 0 10 0 19 6 6 5 0 9 0 5 10 i89 7 |999 4 97 7 18 91 19 7 16 « 8 117 14 5 8 98 13 0 3 [9 6 3 9 6 | .. 9 6 15 9 6, 16 .5 2 , w ' 3 S’ k ® yh'S Otfl e •• nn a, j 0 . lb. 9 , d.^«. d. }l 01 0 i 0 110 ?i 1 0 0 7i 155 9 6 15 150 1 0 1 0 9 9 17 9 8 99 4" I 0 0 7i s. d. 10 0 7^ 5 0 13 8 5 0 10 0 150 1 010 9 6 30 9 o| 95 9 6 SO 4 4 9j3 oj 97 3 6 96 949 j 96 97 34 .. SO 1 3 13 150 1 T 175 1 0 900 1 0 235 13 0 44 5 9 7i 1160 1 8 13 0 9 1 8 0 7416 8 1 8 5 0 90 0 19 6 19 6 1 8 5 0 16 0 5 080 0 90 0 17 6 If 0 5 0 19 6 5 097 6 90 0 5 0 5 0 95 0 SO 0 5 0^30 0 14 6 11 1 75 0*366 934 ' 1C5T 04 ,|i Ml” 16 17 4 8] 91 6 P. for Presbyterian ; Men. for Menonist; and Q. for Quarter. 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 1514, which gives five and a little more than one-fourth* for each house or family. Middleton and Bay ham have 90 houses, and their people, not being reported, may be reckoned by the above average of five and a fourth to a house . • • ^72 Norwich, whereof neither the number of houses nor people are given, may be reckoned to contain the average number of people to a township . . • The only townships of the London district not regularly reported are Burford, London, Dereham, and Houghton. 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 se® how it turns out ia Niagara district. TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 357 and in the report of Middleton the settlers of Houghton are said to be six — say altogether 10 families, reck- oned at five and a little more than a fourth 53 Total population of the London district . 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 ot 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. i- 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. CORK DISTRICT. 3'>8 TRAFALGAR. Mr. Robert Gourlay. , Sir, 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 laud is level; the top soil is clay, mixed with loam atid 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 w’hite 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. 11th. 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, 7id. per lb. when the iron and steel TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 359 Rre 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 11. 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 answ’er 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 stubble ; 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 usetl, 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 otie 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 w'ay, 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 desaibe, but we suppose 3 or 4000 acres; and there are but few farmers in our township, .who would not even sell their improved fanns, if they .had the offer 6f 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 anti locks. Re- specting our navigation, we are situated on the TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 301 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 on Dundas street. The mouth of the Sixteen, where it empties into lake Ontario, is navigable for vessels of a con. siderahle burden, and forms a safe and commodious harbour. 31st. 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 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 ol young children, unable to ' hire hands ; the whole of the labour naturally de- I'olves 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 m ¥ ‘i'l { |(M (If ^ ; » I 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. 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 and 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 imm^iately after the publi- 3G4 GORE DISTRICT. 32 d. 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, w'e 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 same 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 in full, as a specimen.— B. G. TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 365 promote the prosperity of our province, and the happiness of our fellow subjects. (Signed) James M‘Bride, J. P. Daniel Munn. Charles Bigger. Duncan M‘Queen. Absalom Smith. James Bigger. James Hopper. Lawrence Hager. Amos Bigger. Michael Buck. Timothy Robins. James Thomson. Benjamin Smith. Nathaniel Cornwal. Henry Loucks. 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 fail producing the desired effect. If the annex- ed statement will be in. any manner subservient to 3 gore district. •366 your purposes, you are at liberty to luake 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. 1.5th. Blacksmiths commonly charge T^d per lb. for working iron, which sells also for T^d. per lb. 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 I5th of March, and the ordinary time to commence plough- ing in the spring, is the 1st of May. 2.3d. The ordinary season for sowing wheat, is the first week in September, and of reaping it the first week in August. 2oth. 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, 2l. 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 most 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 timberconsists of white pine, oak, hick- ory, ash, sugar maple, and most kinds of hard wood. 11th. 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. I6th. 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. 6s. 26th. A good milch cow, in the course of the summer, will produce lOOlbs. of butter, and as much cheese. TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 869 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 it the whole was settled. In many parts of the province large tracts are owned by private gentlemen, many of whom arenon- 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 means of assisting themselves more than they were capable of doing by manual labour ; and the damage they sustained during the late war, has added nluch to their disadvantage. Wellington Square, ^Ist November, 1817. (Signed) John Brant, Augustus Bates, Asahee Davis, Thomas Ghent, James Morden, Ralph Morden, Nicholas Kern. EAST FLAMBORO’. At a Meeting of a fern of the Inhabitants of the. Township of EaUt Flamboro’, held in pursuance of a public Notice at the House of Mr. Alexan- der Brown, 92d November, 1817, for the Pur- pose oj taking the Address of Mr. Robert Gour- 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 Btown^ SccretciTy • 9th. The soil is generally good. 10th. All kinds of timber.black walnutexcepted. 11th. None. 12th. Limestone in great plenty. 14th. Lime is burnt only in small quantities. 15th. Blacksmith’s wages, 7|d. per lb. for iron. .16th. Wages of common labourers, from ll. 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 2l. 10s. to 7k 10s* per acre. 29th. A great quantity of land now for sale. 30th. Roads generally good: capable of mv provetnent. , . 31st. At the first settlement of this township, the land was chiefly granted to gentlemen for their military services. The situation being ehgi » they hold it at a high price, and for want of capita , few persons are able to purchase it, which is t e reason of its remaining uncultivated. We are. Sir, with due respect, Your most obedient, humble Servants, Geo. CHiSHOuif, Esa. Geo. Chisholm, Jun. Alexander Brown, John M Cartel* TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 371 West flamboro’ and beverly. A/ 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 \st 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 lb. 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, end crab apple trees. 372 GORE DISTRICT. 11th. Salt springs, and indications of iron ore, as yet but little explored. Plaster of Pans 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 4l. 10s. per month. 24th. We generally sow one to one and a halt 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 m 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 ® has yet been manured, and that generally ore ar s, and ground for flax and Indian corn. Ourorchar ^ produce apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, apn- cots, plums, and cherries. Gooseberries an currants are the natural productions of this c ^ try. We generally cultivate our orchards in gram, which produces us large crops ; such is the genia 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 tenan 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 lOl. per lot of 200 acres ; and now sells from 10s. to ll. I Os. and 21. per acre. Cleared land sells from 21. to 12l. 10s. per acre, according to its situation and advantages. A farm house may be built of logs for 251. ; frame house, 7^1. 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. 3 1 St. 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- GORE DISTRICT. 374 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 woald, 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 usetul settlers, as well those with properly, as those wanted for clearing the lands, and handicratt 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, Jl^'. 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. 376 NICHOL. To Robert Gourlay, Esq. Niagara Falls, Nov. 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 M'ill 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 Gov’ernor-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 j and until the advancement of the settle* 376 GORE DISTRICT. menta 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 tOM’nship 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 44 miles distant from the west end of that lake by the road which is at present travelled. This township was granted 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 SOO 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 GORE DISTRICT. 378 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- TOW'XSIUP REPORTS. 379 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- nierscd 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 so much of the adjoining lands being reserved for the crowm, 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 w'hcn the labour of a few adjoining individuals may have made it more valuable; and w'e 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 ot 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 tar 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 sura 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 think 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 tJmt Purpose. 3d. No churches, two Tankers 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. 1 1th. 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 poun^l. 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. 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 Ebb. James Van Eteby. Abbaham Ebb, And seven others. TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 383 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. 11th. 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 -j- 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, ^his 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 tht Township of Haldimand, in the County of W^entworth, and District of Gore, in the Province of Upper Canada, including the Chiefs of the Five Nations of Indians ^ held at the House of TOWNSHIP REPORTS. .38/5 Frederiek Yeotvard, Merchant, in Mount Plea- sant, in said Township, on Thursdat/,thellth of December, 1817, for the Purpose of takiny into , Consideration the Queries proposed by Robert Gourlay, Esq. and of giviny Ansjvers 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. Halditnand — 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 1* ive 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 clergyrhan 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 lb. ; 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. GORE DISTRICT. 386 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 1th. Plaster of Paris in abundance, andof agood 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 lb. 18th. The cost of clearing and fencing 5 acres of woodland, per contract, is estimated at 14l.; 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 RKPORTS. 387 grain for seed, and team, and all expences of ma- n^gement, 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 Ri3y 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 tl;ie 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. • GORE DISTRICT. ANCASTER. 29^ Novemhevy 1817. 1J. At a Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Township of Ancasler, convened by public Notice, at Newtons Hotel, in the Village of Ancaster, this Day, James Durand, Esq, Member for the County of Wentworth, was called to the Chair, and Mr , John Wilson, of Ancaster, chosen Secretary. FIRST. ' : 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 388 ' i TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 339 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- mg 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, basswood 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. 11th. 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 gOQ OOftE t>ls¥R'lfcT. quality, and in great abundance ; price 2i dollaia per toise at the quarry. 16th. Wages— Labourers, from 11. lOs. to 41. 10s. per month. 24th. Sown on new land i to IJ, on old land 1 to Vi, and reap from 19 to 20 bushels per acre:- 16 bushels per acre considered an average crop. 26th. On new lands, generally harrow m 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 mnniirfi 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 furnish^ Ian fenced, and receives one third, the tenant fin mg 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. 5s. 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 maybe built at 1251. o 2501. ; a good frame barn at 1251. 29th. Any lands, and in fact, all lands in t township, may be purchased ; it consists of abou 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. iWant of capital and enterprise, are doubt- less the greatest causes that have contributed to retard the impro'i(ement of this township. The former has of late years made small efforts, accom- panied by the lottery 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 farmer’s toils. A reply to the latter part of the 31st query, as to what in our opinion, retards the improvement of tlte 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 off, 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 oflf the genial rays of the sun, and now X) 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. , (Signed) James Durand, Chairman. John Wilson, Secretary. Richard Hatt, Wm. Rymal, Christ. Almos, Jacob Rymal, Elijah Secord, Matthew Crooks, Peter Hogeboom, CONRADT FiLMAN, Joseph House, John Aik.man, Daniel Showers, William Clinton. Peter Bawtinheymer, Lot Tisdale, Wm. Tisdale, 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. 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. 11th. 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 1| 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 26th. Wheat first, then grass three years, then wheat to spring grain. Manure potatoes, Indian corn, pease. 27lh. About 2000 acres. If landlord furnish every thing for the use of the farna, he receives two- thirds of the product. In 1792 land sold at 15d. per acre ; in 1800, 5s.; in IS06, 15s.; in 1810, II. 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. 396 CORE DISTRICT. ad. The want of adiberal and indiscriminate en> couragement to emigration, by the government of the province, more particularly the exclusion of American settlers since the late war, which has de- prived the country of much w’ealth, which numer- ous valuable settlers would have introduced, and still would continue to introduce, were such re- straint removed. 4th. The wild lands of the crown intennixed 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. < . I ' ' ' - SALTFLEET. Sir, 10ie to the number of queries. There is attached to this township long sandy beach, of at least 5|,^iles, whicA divides between Burlington bay and the lake,- At from one to four hundred yards in breadth, and has every appear- TOWXSHIP REPORTS. 397 ance of being thrown up by the surf of the lake, and forming an excellent highway. 3d. There is one house for religious worship, built by the Methodist society, but almost ruined by the late war, and has 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 due 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. 1 1th. 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 gore district. 398 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 trom the liberality of the owners, we have not heard of any being sold. 15th. The piece work of a blacksmith, rates nearly as follows: fora good chopping axe, I2.s.6d,; for a corn or garden hoe, 5s. ; 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. 25th. 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 nort exceeded in the province, and which now fetches Is. 3d. per lb. Cheese is made, but in less quantities, and generally finds a ready market, at lOd. per pound. 26th. The common method of treating new an is to sow a crop of wheat in the autumn, witho ploughing (which would be neither necessary no practicable, as in a state of nature there is neit 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. 97th. 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. 98th. 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. a i. } i > / be purchased for 6\. or 61. 58., 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. 5s. per acre. A farm of about 300 acres of laud, 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 lOOOl. to 1,5001., according to the situation. A farm nearly answ'ering 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 l>e 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 : 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 laige 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. 402 STATISTICAL Composed of Extracts from the Township T. Ia column six stands for Tanker ; Men. for Menoni*^ TABLE 403 Reports of the District of Gore. E. for Epiacopal ; M. for Methoditt 404 TABLE, Shewing the Beginning and Progress of Dumfries Settlement. A 3-0 d o < 1 a 5« e 1 V v S wS S S, s a 52 be <=* . Names of Settlers. 7 December, 13 W. 1816. Ephraim Munson... 7 May, 4 W. 9 1817. Niel Me Mullen 6 July, 7 1817. 6 Gut-lip TVTort 6 May, 1817. 5 W. William Rosebrugh . 7 December, ! 1816. William Me Kenkie . 1 June, 5 W, 6 1817. John Buchannan . , 3 May, 1817. 5 W. 10 Totals, 20. 99 .... ]27f W. lOf R. 245} 41 IB column fourth of the uhore Tuble, W. .lands for urheat. and R. for r,f. In the mo ^ ^ number of buAel. may al». be taken for the number of acres »-n. The word cnom ^ column nilh, means when all the timber Is cot down, and in pieces ready for Dorm ^ this township is plain, which may account for some of the setUers having so :arge an e and cleared in so short a time. The original Table contained 18 niora settlers; but in are suflkient for the purpose* TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 405 SUMMARY OF POPULATION, &C. The above Table directly exhi- bits ..... 5673 people ; and the average to each of nine townships, completely reckoned, is 577. The average number of per- sons to a house in these townships is 6f. Wellington Square has . . . 16 houses East Flamboro’ . 38 ditto These multiplied by 6f 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, . . . 577 Binbrook had in 1817 only 16 families, which reckoned at 6i gives ... 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, 1 But I have seen an accurate government list of the Grand river Indians, which made their number up wards of 1900, so that we may add . 100 1930 Total population, reported and estimated , . , 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 : in 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: /n 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. \Atli Januar^y 1818. Mr. Robert Gourlay, Sir, Ha V fNG considered your queries, we now present you with answers to the same : dth. 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 low, 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, ash, elm, bass, tamarack, black spruce, hemlock, and cedar, red and white. 1 1th. 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. gist. Beasts are turned out to pasture about the beginning of May, and taken home the beginning of Noveralter. 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. 23th. The pasture is capital. Cheese is seldom taken to market. 26th. After 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. SOth. 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. Sd. About once a fortnight a Methodist preacher bolds 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, basswood, black and white ash, whitewood, hickory, black and white walnut, and tamarack. 3 NIAGARA DISTRICT. 410 nth. The only niimral that has been dis- covered is what is here called bog 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 1 6s. per toise at the quarry. 15th. Blacksmiths have generally Tid. for work- ing iron brought to the shops, and 6s. 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 400lbs. in the spring, he will weigh bOOlbs. in the autumn, milch cow, at pasture, gives from ten to fourteen quarts of milk per day . 26th. New lands are generally sown withwhea in the autumn, with grass seed in the spring; after which, they remain in meadow or pasture groun for three or four years ; when the roots and stumps become decayed: they are then ploughed in t 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. 2 412 NIAGAKA DISTRICT. is an excellent one, and we earnestly hope and trust it may and will succeed. Toumthip of Bertie , Ist January , 1818. (Signed) J. Warren, J. P- Andrew Miller, Samuel M’Afee, Charles Hill, Henrv Warren, John Applegarth, Thomas Moore, B. Hardison, John Maxwell, Matthias Hack. 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 m general a black loam and clay ; and very heavi y timbered. . 10th. The kinds of timber are red oak, eim, maple, beech, pine, hickory, basswood, black I'a - TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 413 nut, black spruce, white oak, and a variety of dif- ferent descriptions. 11th. 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. 2dth. 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. 26tli. New land, when first cleared, is commonly sowed with wheat in the month of September; timoi;hy 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 oflf successively, without any juanure whatever; then laid down in grass for tw'o 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. 29tb. From the best information there may be from e^ht 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 creek, 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. Jaaies Cuaiaiings, J. P. Willotu//iby, <\th Dec. 1817. STAMFORD. Nov. \m, 1817. Robert Gourlay, Esq. Sir, Having seen your address to the resi- 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 Uj vened a few of our oldest and most respectable inhabitants, in conjunction with whom 1 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. §, and got its present name from Lieutenant Governor Simcoe, in 1793. [ 6(1 ^ 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 (j built by subscription in 1795, for the use of all jil 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, i hickory, walnut, elm, chestnut, basswood, ash, and I some pine, as also a small quantity of other sorts. E E NIAGARA DISTRICT. 418 11th. 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 indam- mable gas springs, which ooze out of the bank ot 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 9;5s. 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. 2 1st. 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 3lb. 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- £ £ 2 420 NIAGARA DISTRICT. pawa river, on the south of the township, which is navigable for l)oats of any description from the mouth for 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 -fth for the clergy. Some few of the adjoining townships are m the same fortunate situation, these being surveyed and allotted to actual settlers before the reserva- tion of the above yths 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-resj. 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 Gl. 10s. a month. One carding machine ; price of carding wool, 6d. per lb. ; 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 w'ood, dog or box wood. 1 1th. 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 isa 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 he obtained at .5s. per toise at the quarry. loth. Blacksmiths’ work at the rate of 7id. per lb.; shoeing a horse, 10s.; journeymen black- smiths, 5l. per month. 18th. Heavy timbered lands, 5 \. to 61. 5s. per acre. Light timbered, from 21. to 5l. 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 2501b. ; by running on the commons, or in the woods, will gain loO to 170lb. A milch cow will produce, (well kept), 81b. butter, or 14lb. cheese per week. 26th. New land, in its natural state, given from 6 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. 27tb. 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. 28 th. 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 7l. 10s. per acre. NIAGARA DISTRICT. 424 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 1 1, for 61. 58. per acre, now sells from 301. to 2001. for building lots. 29 th. 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 from abroad, hardly a family of wealth or respectability has become a settler among us ; but swarms of 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 iQth, 1817 . LOUTH. Jan. 5, 1818 . At a Meeliny of the Inhabitants of the Township of Louth, District of Niagara, and Province of Upper Canada, held this Day at the House 426 NIAGARA DISTFIGT. < ... <) of Mr. Rolntri. Runchexj, Innkeeper — the Querieg proposed in an Address of Robert Gourlay, Esq, to the Resident Land- Owners, respectiny the Agricultural State of this Province, were sub- mitted; and after due Consideration, the follow- ing Answers were resolved upon, apjyroved of, ordered to he signed by the Chairman, and for- warded to R. Gourlay, Esq. Ebenezer Coelver, Clmirman, John Clark, Secretary. 8th. One carding machine. Wool is carded for 6jd. per lb. 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 53. 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 or improved, with a small orchard, will sell for £160. 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. TheTw'enty 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 comtnu- nication may be carried on between lakes Erie and Ontario, atatrifling expence, considering theimport- 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. 31st. We conceive the improvement of this township and the province in general is much retarded, from large tracts of wild lands holden by persons residing in Europe, Lower Canada, and the United States, 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 residing in the township, as also the revenue is raised from the same. The evil just mentioned, and great want of capital in our township, is what most retards the improvement of it. N. B. We 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 latter 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 ll. to 4l. per acre. Quantity of land for sale unknown, but a 430 NIAGARA DISTRICT. great deal. State of the roads at present is bacl, 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, OP WHICH THE FOLLOWING ARE EXTRACTS. As to population, 1 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 queiy, of W hat 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- NIAGARA DISTRICT. 432 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 ot 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 th parishioners, requesting a clergyman ; upon which one w'as sent us from England last spring, snd a though his efforts have not hitherto added to the TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 4.33 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 lOOl. 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 I 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 <1® 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 2 436 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 ot the mountain, to where the creek makes a rumbling fall of about 23 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 expt nce 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 impott ance wouid 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, during 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. I hus, 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 man, whose smallest quantum is three days, and whose assessment is perhaps a cow, value ad. tax. This system has long since been found rotten, and has been often attempted to be regenerated by the legislature at different times ; but hitherto, with little advantage to the public ; and the reason is in some degree evident, for when a man is ordered to do his statute labour on the highways, he con- siders it as so much of his time lost, or of no profit 488 WAGARA DISTRICT. to liim : 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 tum- 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 REPOIITS. 189 mostU'^ 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 th'e 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. Gnmiiby, January 1818 . To Mr. Robert Goureay, 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 6id. per lb. 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. 'I'here 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. 11th. 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. rith.- 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 ofa hoe, 6s . ; shoeing a horse, 2s. 6d. per shoe ; making log, or ox chains, 1 Id. per lb. 17th. Price of mowing grass, 3s. 9d. per day; reaping, 3s. 9d. per day ; cradling, 3s. 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 w'heat, 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 w’heat, and then put under grass for two, three, or four years. On high sandy or gravelly lands, where the grow'th 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 wheal 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, Zen AS Fell, Elijah Phelps, George Bradshaw, Peter Beckett, Samuel Beckett, Jesse Willson, John Taylor, Pelham, Dec, 6 , 1817. Eli Bradshaw, Amos Scott, Joseph Willson, Lewis Willson, Thaddeus Davis. Stephen Beckett, John M'Glashen. 444 NIAGARA DISTRICT. POSTSCRIPT. The ridge, as it is called in this township, is the highest land in the district, being .500 feet 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, Mr. Robert Gourlay. Eli Bradshaw. TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 445 THOROLD. We the inhabitants ot the township of Thorold, at a meeting held at Tliorold for the purpose, give the following as a true description of the said town- ship. I 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 aflbrd good pasture from the Ist of May to the 1st of December, four months being the ordinary time for feeding cattle in the winter. 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 1-5 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 Vanderburgh, Tonm Clerk. Jacob Upper, Anthony Upper, John Decou, And nine others. Thorold, iQlh Nov. 1817 . 2 446 NIAGARA DISTRICT. CROWLAND. Crowhnd, Dec. 23, 1817, Mr. Robert Gourlay. Sir, Pursuant to your inclination, and anxious to facilitate the good of our country, 1 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 11th, The only mineral found here is bog iron ore in small quantities, frequently in marshy places; springs ot a saline tincture are frequent. 15th. Ox chains and irons, &c. are sold for Is. 3d. per lb. Carpenters have lOs. per hundred for framing ; bricklayers, 7s. 6d. per day, and 10s. per 1000 for laying. I6th. 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. NIAGARA DISTRICT. 448 30th. Lyons creek, a sluggish stream of blackish water, rises in the swamps and marshes of Hu mber- 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. 181 4. Iwo 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 salts. 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. 3l8t. 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, Samurl Yokom, others. TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 449 WAINFLEET. Sin, 20rt Dec. 1817. 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 3s. 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 lO.or 13 years without manure. 28th. There are 22 square miles of marsh land owned by government, which if drained, would be 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 15 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 l6 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 98 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, CierA. Stephen M. Farr, Co/lector. Shubal Parr, King's Deputy Surveyor. 452 NIAGARA. DISTRICT. CANBORO’ AND CAISTOR. At a Meeting of the principal Inhabitants of the Townships of Canboro' and Caistor, held at Canhoro’ , December, 1817, for the Purpose of taking into Consideration the Queries ad- dressed to the resident iMnd Owners of Upper Canada, by Robert Gourlay, Esq. William Robertson m 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 ennpties itself into the C hi ppawa 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. 11th, One salt spring in Canboro’. In both townships many salt licks, some bog ore, and a little limestone. 19th, No building stone. 15th. Where iron is taken to the blacksmith, he works it at the rate of 7|d. per lb, ; if he finds it. Is. 3d. per lb. l6th. 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. 95th. Pasture, either natural or improved, is excellent. 96th. 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. 98th. Where lands are partially cleared, say 15 acres in the 100, they sell, on Oswego Creek, at 5 dollars per acre. 99th. In Canboro’ 7000 acres of wild and 3000 with partial improvements; inCaistor, about 15,000 acres of wild. 30th. Our public roads are in a bad state. They may be much improved at a moderate i 4o4 MAOAJIA 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 bill 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 1 1 People, townships, containing . . 8398 1312 houses, make an average of Humberstone contains, houses 75 Wainfleet . . . .72 irr" Which, multiplied by 6.|-, gi ves . 94 1 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 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 Wedderburn has been settling these two last years ; but in 1817 I presume it did not contain more than four families 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 w'olves, and otherwise a great nuisance. For the reported population of 9,33d, there ap- pear to be eight places of wCrship and ten preach- ers : viz. five Methodists; one Menonist ; one Quaker ; two Presbyterians ; and one Episcopalian, fhere are six medical practitioners; 46 schools; ^iid 33 tsvcrns* Improvement is said to be retarded in five re- ports by want of people : in three reports by of money : in three reports by large tracts of land owned by non-occupants: ih two reports by the prevention of emigration from the United Stales : in two reports by bad roads : in orte rept^t 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 t o S o c. Names of 1 u 1 *0 *1 VO V JS w n Townships. V (0 e «> 1 IS le Uo ^ S t a. o - JZ JS s Z oM zeu 6 z Humber- stone .. 1787 75 •• Men. IMen. Bertie .. 178* 200 1600 * IQ. - Willough. by 178* 68 *41 0 0 Stamford. 178* 165 1200 1 P. 1 1 p. Grantham 178* 200 1200 .p. - Lowth .. 1787 lao 700 V 0 Grimsby . 1787 1*9 8051 E. 1 K. 1 M. Pelham.. 1790 ISO 776 1 Q. 0 TPhorold.. 1 P. 1788 150 830 1 1 Q. 9 M. Crowland. 1788 8* 600 IM. 0 Wain- fleet .. 1800 79 0 0 Canboro’ 1803 95 190 and 0 2 M. Caistor ,, 1788 28 156 Totals. - 1*59 8398 8 10 Averag- ed by - 13 11 •• •• Averages - 119 772 - Q* ia colanns fifth and sixth stands for Quaker; Men. for MenonUt; • 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 ei^ht pefsons lo each bouse* TABLE 457 Reports of the District of Niagara. an allowance qVite too much, I have taken the liberty, in summing up, to deduct 10, that I may not pervert my average calculations,— R. 0. 458 HOME DISTRICT. THE HOME DISTRICT. I From this district I did not receive a single w reply to my address, although it was first published '’jiw here, and had the cordial approbation of the head . . -pi magistrate of the province, as well as of every body^ ■ ixi. with whom I held converse. This may be as- j m cfibed to two causes: first, the opposition of a ni monstrous little fool of a parson, w’ho, for reasons km best known to himself, fell foul of the address kq which I had published, abused me as its author, spy and has ever since laboured, with unremitting ma- nr lignity, to frustrate its intention. sen This man, unfortunately, was a member of the igoi executive council ; and his efforts, from that cir- * c’umstance, were but too successful. In another an place his name, history, and machinations, shall be njj fully displayed. |:i)(|, The second cause may be traced to the low inj condition of society in the Home District, ow- ^ ing to the peculiar state' of property. The fore- Infj going reports sufficiently demonstrate how the Ijj farmers of Upper Canada have been baffled in their improvements by the large tracts of unsettled land ; | jj, 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. J In HOM£ 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 tlieir 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. iiig, 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 w'rong 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 hiinselt ! Much moan has been made in this country as to the lagging of the Gospel in Upper Canada; HOME DISTRICT. 161 « lit H ik *■ lis 4 [21 i;l fe. 0(fi :4 [(•’ !“ lUSl ift til' |(ti but I can assure the public, that the chief cause rests in the state of properti/, 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 oft’ 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 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 he 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, aa 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 3 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 nratch 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 ori 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^ tton 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 HOME DISTRICT. 464 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 avast 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, but is 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, 1 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- 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 w-ill 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 PTALDIMAND. Name, Maldimand : situated on the lake shore : extent of the township, nine miles east and west; and 12 miles north and south. The soil ap|>earS*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 i 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, 134; number of grist mills, 3 ; of saw mills, 4; of carding machines, 3 ; of stores, 3; 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 custotnafy) every 12th part ; price of boards at the mill, 33s. ; bricks, at the kiln, 33s. each, pei^ 1000 ; lime at the kiln, is. 3d. per bushet; 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, 33.; carpenters, per day, 6s. 3d. ; masons, per day, 7s. 6d. ; of labouring H TI 2 468 NEWCASTLE DISTRICT. women, per week, 6s. ; 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, 7id. per lb. 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 26 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 Runger, Ebenezer Allen, Johnson Merriam, John Brown, Wilson Rus. SUMMARY OF 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. 460 In the Township of Percy . . . 34 Ditto ditto Murray • . 1?4 Ditto ditto Cramahe . . 136 Ditto ditto Haldimand . 162 Ditto ditto Hamilton . . 155 Ditto ditto Hope . . , 120 Ditto ditto Clark and Darlington 68 789 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 Quints. 470 MIDLAND DISTRICT. KINGSTON. To Robert Gourlay, Esq. November 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 feeb 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 improveojent of its members iu 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 tnay 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 550 : population about 2,8.30. This enumeration in- cludes the town of Kingston, which contains 450 houses and 2,250 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 408. ; four at 22s. fid. ; and one conduct- ed on the Lancastrian system at lOs. 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 lb. ; generally paid in w'ool 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 i 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 rerhoved at a trifling ex pence 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 laige 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 kinds of maple: the curled and bird-eye maple is remarkable for making the most beautiful cabinet furniture. A grove of sugar maple trees \vith pro- TOWNSHIP REPOHTS. 473 per care will produce on an average, each spring, five lbs. 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. 11th. 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 tojse. 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 areas follows : Carpenters, on an average, winter and summer, Ss. 6d. per day, and found in board and lodging. Blacksmiths, do. ds. 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 Irom 8s. to 9s. iron found. Most of the farmers make their own ploughs and harrows, the • I have seeo 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 lb. ; harrow lines lOd. ; chains, steeled wedges, &c. Is. 3d. , 18th. Clearing land covered with timber, prepared for the harrow at 31.' per acre is - - _ £13 0 0 Fencing do. at 7s. 6d. per acre, is 1 17 g 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. 23tb. A cow will give (including summer and winter) in the course of one week 21 ^quarts of milk, which will make three lbs. and a half of but- ter, or four lbs. of cheese. 1 TOWNSHIP HEPORTS. 475 26th. 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 sufTicient compensation to the farmer, the proprie- tor providing farming utensils, oxen, and seed, for the 6rst 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 hooks 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 lias 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 1 3s. 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 2l. to 5l. per acre. 476 MIDLAND DISTRICT. 29tli. 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 thecrown 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 bylaw to contribute their share of the expence 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. W ater 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 lonmship 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, Gourlay's Publication to the resident Landholders of Upper Canada, was read and approved. It was then resolved that his Queries be taken into Consideration, and Answers returned thereto. 3 478 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. Fgr 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 farmers 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 and 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 properly, 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 ^63,000 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 peopk 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 dtiring 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 govermnent will take the trouble to hear, it will be explained to them in every particular. John Vincent, 482 MIDLAND DISTRICT. EARNEST-TOWN, INCLUDING AMHERST ISLAND. Sd. 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 ot 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 ol‘ 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 10s. 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 lb. 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. 11th. 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- 8s. ; plough shares, 15d. per lb. 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 lb. 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 £1. 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 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. Alanure 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. 31 St. In our opinion, what retards the improve- 486 MIDLAND DISTRICT. merit 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. d 3d. There are no churches. The Quakers, Methodists, and Presbyterians, have meetings at private houses. 8th. One carding machine: 6d. per lb. 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 alwaj’s 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 tor 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 Quints, is very convenient for water communication. Orton Hancox. HALLOWELL. Uth Feb. ISIS. At a Meeting of the Justices of the Peace, and principal Inhabitants, held at Eyre*$ 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 lb. ; 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. 489 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 planted 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 w’orth 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. Ebenezrr 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 and formed 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 tw'o fulling mills. The rate of carding wool, 6d. per lb.; 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 tunber 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 qtrarried for 30s. per toise : there are no remarkable springs. 15th. Blacksmiths charge for a plough, ^1 17 6 Do. for a hoe, . .050 Do. narrow axe, . 0 12 6 Do. shoeing a horse, 0 7 6 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 is 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 month 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, 25l. 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 Quint6, 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 land yet for sale. The township comprises about 55,000 acres ; 26,000 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 eflfected at the average expence of 492 MIDLAND DISTRICT. 51. per mile. The river Moira is the only stream in the township worthy of remark. It has its source in Hog lake, w'hich is situated about 30 miles north of the township. It abounds in valu- able mill seats, and discharges itself into the bay of Quints, at the town of Bellville. 31st. 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 S.MITH, JohnCankeef. Feb. Qth, 1818. GENERAL REPORT. Kingston , % 6 lh Nov . 1817. Sir, 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 neighbours : 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. GENERAL 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, basswood, ironwood, 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 to 30 bushels of wheat, and of old, from 15 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 I 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 Marklamd. Mr. Robert Gourlay. BnDLAND DISTRICT. 405 SUMMARY OF POPULATION, &C. &C. The reports from this district being few in pro- portion, apd 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 T Total Deducting from this amount the popu- lation of the town of Kingston, viz. 2250, the average of the country population of these townships is 1068, and this average may be allowed to Fredericksburgh, Ma- rysburgh, Hallowell, Ameliasburgh, and Sidney, which are all regularly organized townships Pittsburgh, with Wolf Island, Lough- borough, Portland, Camden, Richmond, and Rawdon, though some of them are organized, will not average above 300 each In Huntingdon I heard only of four settlers, say And of none in Hungerford, Sheffield, Hinchinbrook, and Bedford. 7689 5340 1800 24 Total white population, 14,853 496 MIDLAND DISTRICT. V 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 r viz. 1 Episcopalian, 1 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 tioo 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 report, by the in- discriminate admission of people from the LTnited State : in one report, by want of skill in husbandry: in one report, by want of emigrants with capital : in one report, 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 Quints 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 bypeople in office and favour. On theeastside, 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. 498 JOHNSTOWN DISTRICT. WOLFORD. Janmry, 1818. Answer to Query Ist. 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 u pwards 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 and for carding wool, 5d. per lb. 9th. The soil is variable ; but generally a sandy surface. 10th. Oak, maple, beech, pine, hemlock, ash : but chiefly maple. 11th. 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 m^de, 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, 3l. 19th. An horse, 151. ; a cow, 61. ; 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 lb. 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 JOHNSTOWN DISTRICT. 500 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 4 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, AsaheeHurd, Wieuam N. Easton, Henry Burret, Caevin Burret, Richard Oemsted, Benjamin Marker, Wm. Davis, (Capt.ld. Regt. Grenville Militia), Da- NiEE Burret, (Lt.-Col. 2d. Regt. Grenville Militia), J. H. Davis, (Town Clerk), Daniee Thomas, ( Adjt. 2d. Regt.), Nathan Brown, Edward Me Crae, Stephen Merick, Tho- mas Me Crae, James Me Lean, Luther Ceif- TEN, Ee. Coeeer, Edmund Burret, Hareey Easton, Abeee Adams, Daniee Me Carthy. additionae To Mr. Robert Gourlay. Wolford, ^ 6 tk 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. JOHNSTOWN DISTRICT. 502 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 afiords a number of excellent mill seats. We are, with respect, Your very humble Servants, Stephen Burret, Danif.e Burret, {Lt.-CoL 2d. Regt. G.M.) \Vm. Merick, Henry Burret. LANDSDOWN. Infokmation, answering certain queries pro- posed in a paper transmitted to the inhabitants of Landsdown, county of Leeds, U. C. from Robert TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 508 Gourlay, dated Queenston, 1817, respecting the local situation, soil, produce, agricultural improve* ments, &c. &c. 1st. Township of Landsdovvn, 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 tniles, 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 39 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, 23l., and by the people, 45l. annually. 6th. Stores, one. 7th. Taverns, or inns, three. 8th. Mills ; one saw mill. 9th. Soil composed of sandy loam and clay, and V 604 JOHNSTOVTN 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. lOth. Timber: oak, pine, ash, maple, birch, beech, walnut, hemlock, black spruce, alder, willow, and elder ; apples and plums, together with cherry, will thrive here. 11th. Minerals, no discovery. 12th. But one quarry of building stone, and ob- tained by digging, and that with ease, and of good quality. 1 3th. 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 lb. Is. 3d. ; masons, 5s. to 10s. ; 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) 16 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 28. 6d. per lb. 2lst. 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 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 80lbs. 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 lb. Is. 8d. ; cheese, 7id. ; the market good ; valuable mills that never fail ; 7| 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 not 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. 507 ELIZABETHTOWN, YONGE, LANDS- DOWN, LEEDS, KITLEY, BASTARD, AND CROSBY. Elizahethtovm, 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, JOHNSTOWN DISTRICT. 508 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- ville, 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 Brockville, 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 Brockville is named from the gallant chief who fell in the battle of Queenston. JOHNSTOWN DISTRICT. 510 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^ alid 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. Thn 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. Brock vi lie is a place of considerable trade, it being thfe 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 site tliree blacksmiths), carpentering, tanning and cUttying, 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 from 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 Brock ville, 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 60 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* 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, ll. 10s. ; building stone, per cord, 7s. 6d. ; wages of masons, carpenters, blacksmiths, &c. from 5s. to 7s. fid. per day : price of butter is. 3d. ; of cheese 7id. per lb. Yonge is the tenth in the front range of town- ships in cipper Canada; it was settled m 178b. TOWNSHIP REPORTS. 5ia 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 Elizabethtown. 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, w'here 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 ot 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, 516 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. 1 have traversed much of the country above described, in which is Qanannoque 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 clitfs 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. I. L 9 516 ’ 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 tw'elfth 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 population! 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. Ibth. 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. 21st. May and November. 22d. Sleighing commences about the 20th of December: ends in March. 2dd. Sow wheat in September; reap in August. 25th. Price of butter, Is. 3d. per lb. 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 1 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 whatl 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 am. Sir, Your’s truly, WiLCiAM Smart, Miitttter of the Presbyterian Church, Brockville, and Missionary from the Missionary Society, London, To Robert Gourbay, Esq. 5-20 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 my 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 2,000 Yonge may rank next, at 1,400 Augusta 1,200 Edwardsburgh 1,000 Bastard 1,000 Leeds, Lansdovvn, Crosby, K'itley, Wolford, Oxford, and Gower, at 300 each . 2,100 Burgess, Elmsly, Montague, and Marl- borough, together. -500 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 1 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 hshing. 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 1 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 Bathurst. To the Editor of any British Newspaper* . Queenstoriy 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 feiled 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 tow'ards 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 agood one, of ascertaining the progress which a promiscuous body of settlers * This letter, with the Table, was published, 1 find, ia the Sa- lisbury Journal of November 24, 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 Iriends. 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. Tlaving 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 of Settlers. Children. From what County. From what Parish- » Date of leaving ^ Home. B a . "1 o*' £ rt Q 1SI5. a l| ’ou s 1815. 5 a. te 5 5 M ■ c S V A O 1816. A farm grieve .. 0 i 6 Perth Callender May 15 June 24 Sept. 1 May 22 Son of the above, l9yoar8 old.... 0 ! ® Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Aug. 10 Weaver 1 6 Ditto Ditto June 21 Ditto Ditto May 99 Dyer and Clothier 1 1 < 5 Lanark Carronwath May 81 Ditto SepLU ^iay 15 Shoe-maker .... 1 : 5 Murray Rothes April 20 Ditto Sept, 12 May 1 Ship-master .... i 3 Ayrshire Kelbride April 27 Ditto Ditto Ditto Weaver i 5 Lanark Glasgow Dundee June 24 Ditto .Sept. 15 May 12 Mason 1 WifeA 1 child left at borne. ; / Forfar J June 1 Ditto 'Sept> 1 > Ditto Millwright 0 1 ^ Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Farm labourer .. 0 0 Forfhr St. Vigin Ditto Ditto Ditto April 12 Mason 0 0 Dumfries Dunscorc June 24 June 27 Ditto Aug 19 Ship-Carpenter.. 0 0 Lanark Glasgow Ditto June 94 Ditto Ditto ! Schoolmaster.... I 8 Dumfries Hutton May 26 Ditto Ditto lune 7 Farmer 1 5 Ayrshire Edinburgh Kilbimie June 30 June 30 DitI o April 17 Whitesmith .... 1 3 New Greyfriars May 19 June 94 Ditto April 99 Farmer 0 7 Perth Callender May 15 Ditto SepL 1 ' June 1 Weaver 1 9 Lanark Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow June 9i DiUo Sept, li/ May 19 Famar 1 6 Lanark Ditto Ditto Ditto May 90 Farm-labourer .. 1 3 Lanark Ditto Ditto Sept. 16 April 17 Widow of William Holdemess .... 0 6 Yorkshire Boobwith April 9 Ditto 1 Sept. 15 May 90 Farm-labourer .. 0 0 Berwickshire Coldenholm June 26 July 3 Ditto Aprils] Shopkeeper .... 1 1 Edinburgh Canongate April 15 June 29 Sept. 17 June 16 Clerk in Proper- ty-tax I 1 Ditto Corsdorfin June 13 June 34 Sept. 15 April 20 Gardener ...... 1 1 Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Totals .. ........ 15 74 0 • 0 0 o 0 The original table contained double the number of ■cltlers exhibited aboTe» but these TABLE 525 ment, in 13 months, of the Emigrant Settlement at Perth. I 1 'o'O q V IS e 1 Q No. of Acres chopped. No. of Acres cleared. No. of Acres in Wheat. | No. of Acres to Oats. s 0 B 0 -a. a • u '0 d z No. of lbs. of Maple Sugar made. w a 6 '0 d z 1 No. of Oxen. Declaration and Signature. , ■ ■ i 18fectby20 9 9 u 1 100 t 0 Well latisfled— Peter Me Pherson. 0 4 3 2 0 1 0 0 1 Well «atisfied-> William Me Pherson. SI by 18 and ^ 10 7 4 1 2 109 3 1 Well satisfied— James Me Larem 96 by 91 9 8 Si u Si 1^ 2 0 Well satisfied — James Taylor. 90 by 18 13 8 ♦i i 3 25 8 0 Well satisfied— John Simpson. 21 by 17 n 5 4 0 1 0 1 0 Well satisfied— James Miller. 95 by 20 6 9i i li 35 1 0 Well satisfied— Hugh Me Kay. 96 by 19 9 8i 4 Si 2 20 1 1 1 Swell satisfied— For Wm. Spalding, j and self; Wm. Rutherford. 19 by 10 6i 6 4 0 2 0 0 : 1 1 ( 18 by 15 6 H 3 i 11 0 0 0 Well satisfied— John Hay. Halfofa9by92 t 5 Well salisfied-Por self and partner. 7 6 9 0 3 20 0 0 ^Thos. Me Lean; Arehibald Morrison. Ditto ( S3 by 19 n 0 3 i 3 60 0 0 Well satisfied— John Holiday. 93 by 16 94 2i i Si 25 3 1 Well satisfied-Alexander Me Farlano. swell satisfied— James Me Donald. 92 by 14 5 4 li 0 1 90 1 0 1 His X mark. 84 by 91 6 5 9i i 2 30 1 0 Well satisfied— John Ferguson. 91 by 18 2 i 2 25 1 0 Well satisfied— John Flood. 99 by 18 8i H Si 0 1 15 1 0 Well satisfied— William Me Oillevry. IS by 16 8 6 4 0 2 40 0 1 Well satisfied— John Brash. 98 by 90 7 0 li 90 1 0 Well satisfied— Ann Holderness. BMMtarnMAown fh 4 0 i 0 0 0 Well satisfied— John Miller. 16 by 16 lOj 1 4 i Si 90 1 0 Well satisfied— Wm. Old. 18 by 13 Si n i 1 50 1 1 Well satisfied- Francis Allan. 18 by 19 6 Si si 1 U * 19 i 0 0 Well satisfied— Thomas Cuddle . 0 I74i 199i 79i ill 024 23 7 «re taBcient for the prooent pvrpoie. Th* accouot was takea lit aad *d J» y. 526 TABLE Shewing the Progress of Improvement, in 24 months, at Perth. Names of Settlers. ^ No. of Acres :hopped. « No. of >cret ieared. No. of , acres in Wheat. No. of acres in other Crop*. No of Pounds of ^ Mspic < Sugar made. fo. of r Cows. ( xen. Peter Me Pherson and Son . 19 19 5 70 2 4 James Me Laren 16 16 5 5 80 3 2 James Taylor. 14 11 3 82 4 0 John Simpson 14 13 5 4 50 2 2 James Miller 7 7 1* 0 1 0 Hugh Me Kay 10 9 3 3 60 2 0 Wm. Spalding 18 17 8 6 90 2 2 'WiTi Kutherford 10 8 6 2 0 1 2 John Hav 12 10 8 2 0 0 0 Archibald Morrison H 3 H 0 0 0 Thomas Me Lean 10 10 9 1 120 0 2 John Haliday 14 ‘ 12 6i 54 100 1 2 ! Alexander Me Farlane ...... 16 13 8 5 30 3 1 James Me Donald 10 9 4 5 30 3 0 John Ferguson 8 7 5 2 55 1 0 John Flood 7 5 3 2 50 1 0 Wm. Me Gillevry 10 8 5 3 0 3 0 John Brash. •« 12 9 5 4 70 3 1 Aim Holderness •••.•.••# ..... 9 8 44 50 3 0 jjohn Millpr^ .............a 10 6 6 3 40 1 0 Iwtn Old 13 10 5 5 30 4 0 Francis Allan. 7 7 3 4 65 2 2 9 8 3 5 20 2 2 . 259J 228 ^ 114 82 1092 44 32 Averaged by 34 • lt>T H H 454 •• .j The chief pert of the above table was drawn out by Mr. Allan, one of the settlers at my reqnest, the Ut of June, 1818, say two years from the first settlement i and i filled in the particulars rejatdmc: the first eight name^ Upon a Tisit 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 circutnstances, 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 living 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 Provisionby Vessels, ^c.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 lOOl. 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, 2l. 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 repaid to them or their representatives in Canada, 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 ofsettlers 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. “ AhercTomby Place, Edinburgh, Feb, 1815.” EXPLANATION OF THE FOREGOING CONDITIONS. The commissioner in the agency for government, has received a vast number ot 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 mm2 532 JOHNSTOWN mSTKlCT. 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-oftice 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. 533 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. CERTI FICATES. 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. . nth. Bedding and other accommodation will be provided for each settler, the same as troops embarking for Canada receive. 12th. If surgeons are required for t e voyag , 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. I6th. 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 21. 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 2l. 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- l 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. 3lst. 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 i4th, 1816. 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 rtiem, 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 eflect 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 540 JOHXSTOWN 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 “pwpp/es” 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 1 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 band, 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 lime 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 anti 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 i: 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, 27th, and 30th of June, 1813. 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 havp 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 eaperiment, 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 other 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 5000 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 11th and 1,5th of September, 1820. From the Morning Chronicle of Sept. 11 , 1820. Jn 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 w-e 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 dow n 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 Towm 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. 646 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. GrahairCs Tovm, Cape of Good Hope, Map 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 was 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. (Deat t of his wife, 8cc. detailed.) Here there is nothing but rocks and barren sands, sur- rounded on one side by CaflFers, and on the other by wild beasts. You will all curse me for coming: pray do not. N N 546 JOIIXSTOWX DISTRICT. Oh ! had 1 taken tlie advice of my departed wife, and that of our friends, previous to emigration, then 1 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 w ith 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. Your unfortunate Brother, R. H. What a contrast do these letters afford to the “ well satisfied " — “ 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 28 th April, sug- gested “ an emigration to our colonies in North America as the most effectual means of mitigating distress’^ The Chancellor of the Exchequer re- plied, that “ before such a proposition was enter- tained, it wbuld 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 1 bridle in N N 2 548 JOHNSTOWN DISTKICT. 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 of 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, intested with Caflfers, 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 summers heat warms only to love; where nature exhibiis hei 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 1 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 declara 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 Drummond, Beckwith, Bathurst, and Gouldbourne. 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 eflfects are very visible m 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 12,600; but more than i 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 55-2 JOHNSTOWN 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 15 0 Four rapids above the Mills ... 73 Marble fall and dam, 44 miles from the St. Lawrence 5 0 Furnace fall, 14 miles direct from the St. Lawrence, and SO by water . 15 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 ver}^ 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. 563 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. Gourlag's address contains principles inimical to the PEACE AND QUIET WHICH THE 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 one are already produced, 1 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 (features 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 1 bid the reader 554 JOHNSTOWN DISTRICT. determine as to the spirit and mental faculties of the unknotvn 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 numerotis 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 O 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 be, 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 ckrgy;^* and that « the 556 JOHNSTOWN DISTRICT. rents arising from such allotments he applied to that purpose solely," By clause 3S, 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 jto authorize the governor, hje, to present to every such parsonage, or rectory, an incumbent, or minister of the Church of England, and to supply vacancies 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 lawjully granted to the Bishop of Nova Scotia, or which may, hereafter, be lawfully granted to be administered and executed, within the provinee of Upper Canada, 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 and enjoy their allotments, shall be subject to be vaned or 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 before- mentioned questions, shall, before receiving the assent of his Majesty, be laid before both homes of parliament TOM’NSHTP REPORTS. 557 in Great Britain, and tJucl it shall not be htiafnl for his Majesty to signify his assent to such aci, until 30 days after such act shall have been laid b^ore the said houses, or to a^ent 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 iJte province shall, in the session in which the same shall have been passed by them, have presented to the governor, ^c. 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 pat liameni previous to the signification of his Majesty's assent thereto." 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 W'hich they M’ere 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 tlm 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, thai “ his Majesty's 558 JOHNSTOWN DISTRICT. government are to extend the bounty for clergymen^ pastors, and schoolmasters, without any dis- tinction OF religious sect.” To be siirej 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. r>59 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 1784, 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 660 EASTEilN DISTRICT. mills, six : rate of sawing, one half: carding mills, one: rate of carding, 6d. per lb. 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. 11th. 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 diggi ng. 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. to 10s. ; carpen- ters, from 5s. to 10s. Rate of their piecework: blacksmith (finding himself) for making plough irons, chains, &c. from Is. to Is. 3d. per lb. : 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 603. TOWNSHIP REPORT. 561 per summer month, from 30s. to 80s.: per day in harvest, from 3s. to 3s. : for women servants, per week, for housework, 3s. ; and for spinning, from 5s. to 7s. 6d. per week, being found. 17th. Mowers’ wages: for mowing grass, per day, 3s. : 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 lOl. to 13l. : of a good milch cow, 4l. 10s. to 61. : of a good ox, at four years old, lOl.: of a good sheep, from 13s. to 17s. 6d. 20th. The average quantity of wool yielded by sheep, is from 3lb8. to 61bs. : price thereof, from Is. 8d. to 2s. per lb. 21st. The ordinary time of turning out beasts to pasture is about the 23th April : of taking them home to the yard, or stable, about the 13th Nov. 22d. The ordinary endurance of the sleighing season is from the 13th 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 13th 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 13 th 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 15 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 gam, in the course of a season, in pasture, about ^ more. As respects milk, and the quantity of dairy produce, it will average from four to six lbs. per week for each cow; the price of butter is from Is. to Is. 3d. per lb. ; and cheese, from 5d. to 8d. per lb. 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 t e want of capilalists becoming settlers therein. Charlottenburghi 5th Jan. 1818. John Cameron, M. P. Dun. Me Kenzie, Alex. Me Kenzie, J. ?• Alex. Cameron, Alex. Fletoher, 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 . • • • 2,500 Cornwall, including its village, may be reckoned to hold as many . . . 2,500 Lancaster, though double the ordi- nary extent of townships (now by statute divided into two), and 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, Williamsburgh, 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 . . 4,500 EASTERN DISTRICT. 560 Mountain and Finch are regularly organized, and have considerable settle- ments: Winchester few or none; and Roxbury but few : altogether we shall 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 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, 1 still hold as a curiosity. ^nder similar influences, other Reports were withheld, end two. if not mote. tbepostofflceof Kingston, where I l«d directed they might lie for me till celled 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 1 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. I 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 Ungland, 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 alonar 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 Tirtuous 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 op Wales, Regent of the United Kingdom op Great Britain and Ireland, &c. &c. &c. The Humble Address of Inhabitants of Upper Canada. May it please your Royal Iligliness, 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 States 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 and 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- tinguished— still did it burn with patriotism andloyalty. 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 u 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 )U8 truth, if these had not obviously conspired, with causes, to lessen the regard, which should subsist notorious trut other causes, 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 bereft of their all. A solemn investigation, on 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 claims 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 laud 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 w'ar was terminated; and after this promise was universally confided in, 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 extjaordinary 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, on 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 prorcince^ and intermixed mth private property^ already cultivated. The disposal of this land is left to Ministers at home^ who are palpably ignorant of exists 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 thv evil ; and a system of patronage and favouritism, in the disposal of the Crown lands, still exists, altogether destruc* live 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 fll situations of public trust at present : — all sink beneath the dignity of men — become vitiated and weak, as soon as they are placed within the 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 imquity, have ultimalely come to little value from abuse. The poor subjects of his Majesty, driven from home by distress, to whom portions of land arc granted, can nowffnd 576 EASTERN DISTRICT. in the grant no btnejit ; 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- therj — 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 \f 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 system 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 humbly entreat your Royal Highness to give ear to the details which it will be in their power to relate : above ail, that your Royal Highness would, immediately, send out to this Province a Commission, con- TOWNSHIP llEPOKT. 577 sisting of discreet and wise men — men of business and talent, who shall be above ever)’ 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 I was first tried, and honourably acquitted in Upper Canada. Wliat 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 alTairs — 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 678 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 ot 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-oj^cio 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. Tliey would, I do believe, if stupjfied with political influence, find a true bill against a cow for eating her master’s grass. The Jinding 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 oflT 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 W'ords “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 2 680 OTTAWA DISTRICT. OTTAWA DISTRICT. This districf, 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 1 do not suppose the whole popu- lation could amount to more than 1,600 ; 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 I.ongeuil, 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. 681 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 pow'er 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 nortli. The Ottaw'a, 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 1 lelt 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 LTpper Canada, from Bonchette’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. 1 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. 684 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 tow nships, 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 fer as tbe 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 Soiilange. 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 tlie 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 fanning. The woods aflbrd 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 Poiute 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. Tlie front of tbe 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 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 ill 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 tlie utmost violence back again upon the cur- rent, exhibiting nearly the same efiect as would be pro- duced by the most furious tempest. I’o 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 Suisson ; it is 500 yards in length, and furnished with the necessary locks ; on each side a space of ground 100 feet deep has been relincjuished 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 inill, the bateaux going up the St. LawTence 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 Rouleau, deeper, but not less difiicult to pass ; the combined efforts of these two make this the most intricate and hazardous place tliat 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^Donelfs 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 Montagues), in the county of York. It begins at Pointe des Casccdes, 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 'm October. 1702. to Philippe de Rigaud, Marquis de Vau'dreuil. and now the property of the Honourable M E G. A. Chartier de Lotbiniere. This seignioiy is in a ^ery flourishing state; two-thirds of it is conceded m lots of three acres in front by twenty, and from that to thirty in 590 LOWER 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 tlie neighbourhood. Besides the main road, several others pass through Vaudreuil, and are all kept in very good repair, as well as tlie 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. 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 k 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 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 k 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, wbich is already begun, as well as a village surrounding it. The men of this seigniory are chiefly voyage urs, active, resolute, and enterprising; the attention of those who follow that em- ployment being diverted from the cares of husbandr)% leaves but a comparatively small number to become r.OWER CANADA. 592 farmers ; but those who do imderfake it carry it on 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 sandy 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 1640 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 Quetns, 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 evel surface, watered by several little rivers and rivulets, Ihese 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 9ieSt. Lawrence; but in the opposite direction, towards a Chine, they are low: between the Coteau St. Pierre and the river the land is so flat, and particularly near the little lake St. Pieire so marshy, as to induce a conjecture fliat 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 tlie dilHcult passage of the rapid of St. Louis avoided : for the commencement of this work the sum of 2.5,0001, 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 conmiodities 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 Q Q 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 S«. 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 inten-upted 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 tlie fall of the year another is always added, one of w'hom acts as a guide. In the bateaux of the merchants the cargoes upwards are /TN 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 theii* crews may be able to aflbrd 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, Uiese 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 tlie twisted fibres of the roots of a particular tree, and strength- ened where necessary by narrow strips of tlie same mate- rials applied on the inside; the joints in this fragile planking are made w ater-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 Q 2 -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 tlms dispatched. They proceed up the Grand, or Ottawa River, as far as tlie 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 nortliern coast, up tlie 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 difterent 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 wliich but a poor estimation can be formed by judging it from tlie ordinar}^ occupations of other labouring classes. From the Grand Portage, that is nine miles across, a continuation of tlie same toils takes place in bark canoes of an inferior size, tlirongh 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. SKlGNlOKlKd^. 597 they prefer it to every otlier, 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 Ijsl 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 pal ish church, a parsonage- house, and one or two tolerable ♦»ood houses for the accommodation of travellers. The local beauties of this place can bosist of many attractions, being surrounded by extensive orchards, and excellent gardens. About three leagues eastward of Montreal is rointe-au-Treniblc, a neat village of fifty houses, a church, chapel, and a parsonage-house: 'lire 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 tire 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 togetlier ; 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 ofthe island, in lat.45“. 31’ N. and 7:3». 35’ \V. : 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. Qaebec does not contain so many by some thousands._R. G. 598 LOWER CANADA. Isle Jesus is in the county of Effingham, comprehend- ing the Avhole 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 streani of sufficient force to w’ork 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 Law rence at the Bout de ITsIe. 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. Terrebonne. 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, Tlie 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 destr<>yed l)y 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. wliich 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 crentlenien, who have realized large fortunes in the north- west company fur trade, retire to enjoy the comforts and LOWER CAXADA. cot) 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 lake place; in consequence marty of the residents are traders and artisans, whose commercial con- cerns impose a degree of consequence upon the village. The population is sufficiently great to give a maintenance ta 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 bf 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. Eac des deux MoNT.tGNES. 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, I he surface is uneven, but never varies into pre- judicial extremes ; bordering on the lake, in the vicinitv of the Indian village, it is of a moderate height, from thence westward to the Ehoulis 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 lurther 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 civilitv towards the other inhabitants. They place an im- plicit confidence in the resident minister, whose influence over them is unbounded. Some lands arc assigned to them near their village, which they cultivate with wheat, Indian corn, and other grain; of late years they have also 602 JLOWER 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. Daillebout. 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 giist* mills, two saw-mills, and a paper-mill, the 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 Frangois 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 fur many years a member of the provincial parliament, has retired to it with an intention to commence a plan of improvement, tliat, if persevered in, will be likely to realize many of the advantages that its situation and other favourable contingencies hold forth the promise of. Tlie 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 tiie 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 fow I, in great quantities. Pet 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 until it falls upon the Ottawa, crosses La Petite Nation about the 4 r 604 LOWER CANADA. middle ; beyond this intersection the remainder of the gjant has been only partially explored, but the qnality of the part tliat has been observed is much 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 tlieir sourefes, 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 tlian irrigation, and working of mills. TOWNSHIPS. CHATH.A.M 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 AVentwortb. 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 otlier 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. Wentworth 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 3I*Millan and otliers, 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 tlie 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 wliicli 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 nigged 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 traG% 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 Itork, 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. 007 M'Millan and others, his associates, but as yet very few persons have settled upon it. Tlie 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, basswood, 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, tlie 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 tOWEH 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 CMiaudiere. 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 while 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 llideau 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. Tlie 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. STATISTICAL Composed of Extracts from Township Reports of the Composed of Extracts from Township Rejwrts Sandwich 1760 soo 1000 1 R. 9 R. 1 E. 9 S 13 8 9 1 0 45 0 1 P.day 10 ,10 0 31 5 Malden 1784 lOf 673 I R. 1 R. 9 8 20 19 5 9 .. 40 1 3j 10 10 10 0 SO 0 Raleigh 1792 33 273 0 1 M. 0 1 15 5 1 9 .. 87 6 .. 5 .0 •• Dover,A^c, 1794 j 133 799 .. 1 4 15 7 4 9 1 35 0 .. 7 6 10 I? 6 SO 0 I'oto Ih ... ( *S4 2746 5 3 II 50 87 18 15 1 127 6 1 8 1 29 6 40 |33 I 91 3 Averag- ed hy 4 4 4 3 4 1 * 3 Av*»rag%r8 j 123 696 .. 1 16 8 31 10 - 7 6 10 i* “ 30 9 fn Columns five and six, E. stands for Episcopal ; Q. for Quaker; TABLE, Newcastle, Midland, Johnstown, and Eastern Districts. f-5 If <5 **• v\ A(.a :t £ c ts. 3