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SKETCHES
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UPPER CANADA.
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SKETCHES
UPPER CANADA,
DOMESTIC, LOCAL, AND CHARACTERISTIC:
TO WHICH ARE ADDRD,
PRACTICAL DETAILS
1 1
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S ', ■ I ■'.';'
FOK
THE INFORMATION OF EMIGRANTS OF EVERY CLASS ;
AND SOME RECOI-LECTIOKS OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
By JOHN HOWISON, Esq.
SECOND EDITION.
" In vain does the imagination try to roam at largt amidst cultivated plains, for every vfhete tlie habitations of manlUnd oppose its wish ; but in this desert region the soul delights to bury and lose itself amidst boundless forests— it loves to wander, by the light of the stars, on the borden of immense lakes— to hover on the roaring gulf of terrific cataracts— to fall with the mighty mass of waters— to mix and confound itself, as it we.-e, with the wild sublimities otra^me.'—ChaUaubriand.
EDINBURGH ;
PUBLISHED BY
OLIVER & BOYD, HIGH STREET : AND G. & W. B. WHITTAKER, AVE-MARIA-LANE,
LONDON.
1822.
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TO THE READEB.
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The following Sketches relate to a coun- try, whose greatest misfortune has been the obscurity in which its peculiar ciri- cumstances have tended to involve it, and the ignorance and misconception that have prevailed with respect to its real condition and local advantages. The author does not profess to give a particu- lar account of the present political, com^ mercial, and agricultural state of Upper Canada, much less to treat these important subjects with that minuteness and atten- tion which they eminently deserve ; but the details which the ensuing pages con- tain will, it is believed, prove acceptable to all descriptions of readers ; for, being chief- ly of a domestic and personal nature, they will convey a kind of information concern-
10
ing the country, such as has not hitherto been offered to the public, and such as one could not expect to meet with in a book devoted to the consideration of its gene- ral circumstances and condition. v i
The author spent two years and a half in Upper Canada, and, in the course of that time, resided in various parts of the Province. He enjoyed numerous oppor- tunities of inspecting its new settlements ; so that all the statements, for the informa- tion of emigrants, contained in the four- teenth letter, are the result of personal observation.
The interest that almost all works on North America have recently excited, will, it is hoped, be extended to this, which has some claim upon the public at- tention, in so far as it relates to the most valuable and important of our colonial possessions in that part of the world.
'M
CONTENTS.
TA r-.' ..t
.«'i
LETTER I. Montreal — Emigrants landing — Story of the Cabin Boy— •Out« flkirts of Montreal— La Chine — Fine scene there — Calash and Driver— French Canadians — ^American Innkeeper — St Ann's — River Ottawa — Forests — Appearance of the country and crops — Boy and broad-rimmed hat — Rapids of Les Cedres—
Navigation of the St Lawrence
.17
, LETTER n. V tn
Glengary Settlement — Settler's account of it — Present state of the settlement — Scenery there — Age of the trees— Nature of the soil — Prospects of the settlers — Monotonous scenery — Vil- lage of Prescott — Brokeville — Carousing scene there — Tavern
and ball-room tifjjjj.-jrr II- n-r .ini .1 nn J...I J...I -iri.i.iii-- -I- -^4
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LETTER in. Bateaux — Water of the St Lawrence — Its singular effects — Ca- nadian boatmen — Lake of the Thousand Islands— Currents— We land upon an island — False alarm — Deer-hunt by torch- light— Party of Indians arrive — Their dress and behaviour- Supper party — Picturesque groups — ^A day upon the banks of the St Lawrence — Adventure with a canoe — Tavern, and host and hostess — Mouth of Lake Ontario — Viewof Kingston Bay 43
LETTER IV. Pleasures of a good tavern — Town of Kingston — Frigates — Na- val depot and armoury— Kingston during the. last war — Ar- rivals of emigrants— Equality and the bricklayer— Steam-boat Frontenac — Pleasure of travelling by steam — Lake Ontario— Septennial increase of its waters — Stormy night — Error in the
reckoning — Arrival at York
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57
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LETTER V.
Town of Yorki—dtBatI vantages of its aituation— Proposal to remove tho lent of government — Re-embark on board the steam-boat —Lake Ontario at night — Spray of Niagara Falls — Village of Niagara— Its amusements — Affecting incident— Reflections on tlio condition of emigrants — Road to Queenston— Niagara rlver»Peach orchards— Canadian peasantry ..^«....««.>^..^..^70
LETTER VL
Villn^ of Queenston— Situation — ^Ferry— Portage — Romantic environs — Heights — Breadth of the Niagara river — Death and character of General Brock — Last American war — Bravery of tho Canadians — Effects of the wai — Prodigality — Commercial embarrassments— Vanity of the farmers— Tuscorora Indians— Account of their village — Conversation and characters there- Indian hymn — View from Queenston heights — Whirlpool — Thunder ttorm — Meteorological phenomenon 85
LETTER Vn. Niagara Falls — Different views of them — View from the Table Rocki—Rainbows— 'A bold experiment — Appearance of the iheet of water — Noise — Difficult road to the bottom of the ca- taract—A perilous attempt there— View from the river under the cataract — ^American Fall — Dimensions of the Falls — Peo- ple carried over them — Anecdote of an Indian — Wild ducks —Visit to Manchester — Mr Porter's bridge above the Falls- Goat Island— Specidations — Rapids of the Niagara river~106
LETTER VIIL
Scenery above the Falls — Curious mineral spring — Village of Chippowa — Merchants there — Mode of carrying on business — Scarcity of specie — Barter injurious to honesty — Mouth of Lake Erie— Ferry — Town of Buffalo— Lake Erie — Excursion along iU shores— Canadian Taverns — Sugar-loaf country — Frog con- cert—Extraordinary scene at a cottage— Banks of the lake—
^^
13
1 to remove kteam-boat -Village of Sections on —Niagara 70
-Romantic ■Death and •Bravery of !ommercial I Indiana— ers there- whirlpool —
the Table nee of the
of the ca- iver under
alls — Peo- Vild ducks he Falls —
river~106
•Village of business — ithofLake rsion along -Frogcon- the lake —
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Wild vines— Story of an Indian woman and child— Grand River Ouse— Naval post there— Lands belonging to the Mo- hawks—Night scene upon Lake Erie — Interesting Indian^lSA
- ' LETTER IX.
Lundy's Lane — Orchards — St Catharine's — Salt spring there — A Sunday at St Catharine's — Methodists — Farmers of Upper Canada— Their manners and character — Forests on fire— Emi- grants travelling — YankeyandYorkshireman — Burlington Bay — Coote's Paradise — Village of Ancaster — Deficiency of churches in Upper Canada — Manufactory of maple sugar — Grand River Ouse — Plaster of Paris — Its use in agriculture — Mohawk »4i a«re —Indians not susceptible of civilization — Acuteness of tiieir senses — Indian department — Presents — Indian secrets — xvlajor
Norton «
»*»»»#»*»*•»# OMWOKHWX ^»<i»U»i»
147
LETTER X.
hoLg Point— Change of scenery— Perfume from snakes— Fas- cination—Frog and black snake — Human beings sometimes charmed by serpents— Instances of it — Theory of fascination- Illustrations — Hawk and chickens— Partridges— Human fas- dnation— Story in proof of it — Long Point described — Iron ore and foundery there — Game — Wild pigeons — Sulphurous spring —Night adventure with an Indian— Conversation with him— Coltman's tavern — Effects of a residence in the woods— Su- blimities of the forest...»»~....»~....... l68
LETTER XL Talbot settlement— Its founder— Distribution of lands— First oc- cupants of a new settlement — Slow improvement — Condition of the inhabitants of the Talbot Settlement — Emigrants from the Highlands of Scotland — Their clannishness — State of so- ciety in the settlement— Natural depravity of Man — State of mind during a residence in th? Settlement — Physiognomy of
the material world*
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14
LETTER XII. Journey to the head of Lake Erie — Picturesque group at a ta« vern, and characteristics — Hirer Thames — Interesting scene upon it — Delaware village and hotel — The Long Woods— A snow-storm there — Scene in an Indian wigwam — Alarming accident and subsequent difficulties — Singular means of extri- cation— Assisted by an Indian— His hospitality— Ward's ta- vern— Interesting adventure at midnight — Settlement upon the bank of the Thames— Its present state — Mineral oil- Quack doctor and patient — Town of Chatham — Lake St Clair — French Canadians— Climate and fruit upon the Detroit river — Sandwich and Amherstburgh— North-west country —
Lakes Huron and Superior
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194
LETTER XIII. Departure from Sandwich — Dangers of the bordage — ^Violent snow-storm — La Vallee's tavern — Company there — Evening's amusement — Scene on Lake St Clair — Effects of intoxication — Sleigh-riding on the ice — Dangers that attend it — Cana- dian skies — American economy — A new Catholic prohibition — Arnold's mills — Cottage there, and inmates — A walk ia the woods — The upper part of the Talbot Settlement — Scanity of money there — Amusing rencontre and conversation — Death-bed scene — Conclusion of the journey.,., 219
LETTER XIV. Climate of Upper Canada — ^Winter — Sleigh-riding — Degree of cold — Spring — Summer — Autumn — Indian summer — Im- provement of climate from cultivation— Wild fruits — Soil and productions — Price of lands — Expense of clearing them — Rate of labour— Prices of grain and cattle — Taxes — Scarcity of money — Manner of paying labourers — Different classes of emi- grants— Peasants and mechanics — Advantages Upper Canada affords them — What descriptions of them succeed best — Direc- tions about embarkation — Expense of the voyage to Quebec —
15
p at a ta- \ng scene Voods— A Alarming 9 of extri- trard'8 ta- lent upon eral oil— e St Clair e Detroit country — 194
— ^Violent ■Evening's toxication it — Cana- rohibition alk in the -Scanity srsation — 219
Degree of ner — Im- Soil and m — Rate arcity of es of emi- tr Canada ; — Direc- juebec —
Plan to be pursued on arriving there — Manner of travelling up the country — Steps to be taken at York — ^Terms upon which government grants lands — Fees upon grants — Where the emigrant rhould choose his lands — Things to be attended to in selecting a lot — Plan to be followed by poor emigrants^ Different modes of settling — Their comparative advantages — Importance of arriving early in the season — Manner of build- ing a house, and expense — Stock necessary for a new settler — Provisions, and expense of them — Art of chopping soon ac- quired— Different modes of clearing land — Expense paid by the first crop— Profits of the second — Barn to be erected — Gar- den to be made — Manner in which settlers assist each other — Their mutual advantages — Different ways of disposing of sur- plus produce — Oatupations during winter — Hauling firewood —Shooting — Mode of life — ^Articles of diet — Substantial com- forts— Advantage of emigrating to Upper Canada — Proofs of this — Fineness of the country— -Second class of emigrants- Inducements that the Province offers them — Objections and inconveniences — Emigrants possessing capital — Different ways of employing it — Profits of speculations in land.....,..^.«^^241
LETTER XV.
Emigration a serious step— Ideas of different people upon the subject — ^Attractions of Upper Canada — Happiness of its po- pulation— State of society in the Province — Favourable to personal importance — Amusements — Field-sports — Eques- trian pleasures — Horticulture — Balls and cards — Character of the Canadians — Beauty of the ladies— Emigration recom- mended to a certain class of persons — A consola'^ j hint to the ambitious — Conclusion ,.^ .^^....277
LETTER XVI. Lewiston — Hatred between the Canadians and Americans— De- parture from Lewiston— State of the farmers near it— Cmi- versation at a tavern — Cambria post-oflice — Driver's account
16
of himself— Story of the methodist ^rie&t-^Sang froid of the Americans exemplified^ — ^An American break&st-oRochester — Genesee Falls — Clyde Bridge — Grand Canal — Beauties of Canandaguia — Geneva — Reflections — ^Waterloo village — ^An American hotel — Cayuga Bridge — ^Arrival at Auburn — Table d'hote there — Specimens of new phraseology— Village describ- ed— States prison — Divine service ther^—Criminals— Their behaviour — Shopkeeper at Weed's port— Canal track-boat— Conversation with the captain — Town of Utica — Cotton ma- nufactory near it— An American stage-coach — Scenery on the Mohawk — ^A female traveller — Albany— State legislature, and De Witt Clinton — North River Steam-boat— Regulations on board — Dinner — High lands of the Hudson— A disap-
pointment— Arrival at New Yorlu
LETTER XVn. New York— People on the streets — Blacks— Broadway described —A fashionable promenade— Personal appearance of the la- dies— Gentlemen — New York hotels — Table jfAo/e*— Style of manners at these— Americans indifferent to convivial plea- sures— Private boarding-houses— Anniversary of national in- dependence— Festivities of the day— Scene on Broadway — Quietness of the populace— Amusements of New York— Thea- tre—Vauxhall Gardens — ^American museum — Wax-work — Apollino— Academy of fine arts— Colonel Trumbull— Hi pictures and style of painting— Chatham Garden— Steam-boat cotillion parties — American troops— Not respectable— Charac- teristic anecdote — Military College — American navy — Its high state of discipline— Booksellers' shop^—British authors most in repute in America— Circulating libraries — Advantages of New York as a place of residence— Departure from it— East River — First view of Philadelphia — Quakerism — Loungers in Chesnut-street — ^West's picture— Almshouse and hospital — Regularity of the town-^CbaracteristicB of its inhabitants«S26
rmd of tbe -Rochester Beauties of i'ilage — ^An irn — Table tge describ- lals — Their ■ack-boat~- Cotton ma- inery on the legislature, Regvlatioas — ^A disap-
ay described e of the lap holes — Style ivivial plea- national in- proadway — brk-^Thea^ i^ax-work — mbull— Hi -Steam-boat &->Charac- rj — Its high uthors most Ivantages of )m it— East Loungers in hospital — J[)itants^26
SKETCHES
Of
UPPER CANADA.
LETTER I.
Montreal— Emigrants landing — Story of the Cabin-boy— Out- skirts of Montreal — La Chine — Fine scene there— Calash and Driver— French Canadians — American Innkeeper— St Ann's — River Ottawa — Forests — Appearance of the country and crops— Boy and broad-rimmed hat-— Rapids of Les Cedres — Navigation of the St Lawrence.
You may remember, my dear fiiend, when I promised to present you with occasional sketch- es of those things that might fall un^er my ob- servation after I reached this side of the Atlantic, I did not include Lower Canada in my engage- ments, as the rapidity with which I expected to pass through it, would, I supposed, prevent me from becoming much acquainted with what it contained, and likewise, because it is infinitely better known, and more familiar to every one, than the sister province. However, before I en- ter into any details connected with Upper Ca-
A
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SKETCHES OF
nada; I shall give you a superficial account of my journey from Montreal to Glengary, which is the first settlement beyond the boundary-line that divides the two countries. This will enable me to introduce you gradually to the barbarisms * of Upper Canada ; for were I to plunge sudden- ly into the woods, and bring you among bears, Indians, and log-huts, your nerves might receive such a shock as would render you timid about continuing longer in my company.
I shall always feel a pleasure in recollecting the time I spent in Montreal. The lightness of the streets, the neatness of the buildings, the hos- pitality and polished manners of the people, and the air of enterprise and activity that is every where exhibited in it, are truly attractive, and appear to particular advantage when contrasted with the dulness, gloom, and dirtiness of Quebec. Those individuals of the lower classes that one meets in the streets of Montreal, carry with them an appearance of vigour, contentment, and gayety, very different from the comfortless and desponding looks that characterize the manufac- turing population of the large towns of Britain. When in the midst of a crowd, the tone of our feelings often depends more upon the degree of happiness exhibited by those around us, than by what we actually enjoy ourselves ; and a man cannot fail to experience a lively pleasure, when
UPPER CANADA.
19
he walks through a town, and perceives that a large proportion of its inhabitants are strangers to beggary and wo. The streets of our cities in Britain display such a succession of miserable be- ings, that one is often inclined, while traversing them, to become inimical to civilization ; as half the objects that present themselves afford evi- dence of the waste of happiness which its pur- chase occasions. Montreal is as yet a stranger to those miseries which a surplus labouring po- pulation never fails to produce, and will probably continue so, as long as vacant lands lie open, in all parts of Canada, for the reception of settlers.
Quebec has much more the appearance of a commercial city than Montreal. At present, comparatively few vessels come up the St Law- rence as far as the latter town ; for they cannot move from Quebec unless by the help of the tide, or a strong breeze directly astern. But the tide flows only to Three Rivers, about sixty miles be- low Montreal ; and when they have gained this place, they must lie at anchor until a favourable wind enables them to stem the current, which is very rapid. However, six steam-boats now ply ^ tween the two cities, and transport all sorts of lading much more safely and expeditiously than square-rigged vessels can do.
One morning, I observed a ship and two brigs entering the harbour, and on going down to the
20
SKETCHES OF
river some time afterwards, I witnessed the in- teresting spectacle of the disembarkation of a number of British emigrants. The greater part were from Scotland, as I quickly discovered, and a seven-weeks passage across the Atlantic did not appear to have divested them of a single national peculiarity ; but their robust forms were a little reduced by the sickness and confinement attend- ant upon a long voyage. It amused me to ob- serve how the officiousness of the Canadian por- ters was damped by the watchfulness and suspi- cion of the Highlanders ; many an active Cana- dian, who had lifted a trunk upon his shoulders, with the intention of putting it in his little cart, was stopped by the alarmed owner, and divested of his burden, amidst abusive exclamations in Gaelic. Most of the emigrants had families, and the children formed a large part of the groupe. However, I observed several grandfathers and grandmothers, who, though feeble from age and infirmity, had accompanied their offspring thus far in their voyage to the teri-a incognito of Upper Canada. They looked round with dis- consolate and inquiring eyes ; and if any feature in the appearance of the town chanced to re- semble some part of their native village or city, it caused a joyful exclamation, and was eagerly pointed out to the notice of the whole crowd. The vessel in which I had come across the
UPPER CANADA.
21
Atlantic lay near the quay, and on approaching her I observed a constable having in custody two felloivs whom I remembered having seen during the voyage. In extreme poverty, and anxious to get to America, they had concealed themselves in the hold a few days before the vessel sailed ; but hunger soon compelled them to make their appearance on deck, and supplicate for provisions. The captain, of course, received them very ungraciously (for any shipmaster, hav- ing on board his vessel persons whose names are not inserted in the list examined by the custom- house officer before he leaves port, is liable to a penalty of one hundred pounds) ; however, he allowed them small rations : but they were not satisfied with these, and displayed the atrocity of their characters in the means they employed to obtain more. There was a young cabin-boy on board, who had formerly been a shepherd, and this being his first voyage, he was altogether un- tainted with the vices of a sea life. Destitute of guile, he fell a prey to these men, who, by means of whipping and menact^ made him steal provi- sions for them from the store-room, to which he had frequent access ; but these thefts being soon discovered, a severe punishment was inflicted by the captain upon this miserable boy. His feelings were hardened, and he became an adept in de- ceit and petty roguery. I shall never forget the
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countenance of one of those wretches who forced him to commit theft, for it was not the face of a common villain. This fiend and his companion were strongly suspected of having evaded the laws of their native country, and were therefore placed under the charge of a constable, that they might undergo an examination.
Montreal improves with great rapidity, and will soon contain some very pretty streets. Its suburbs and outskirts are embellished by numer- ous villas, built in the £nglish style ; and many of these are surrounded by pleasure-grounds, the variety and beauty of which, prove the wealth and taste of their owners. The inhabitants of this city possess much liberality of sentiment, which they alike display in their hospitality to strangers, in their mode of life, and in their mercantile transactions; and they lay out their money with a spirit, and an ardour for improve- ment,, which is by no means common among those who reside in small commercial towns.
In travelling from Montreal to La Chine, a village nine miles further up the St Lawrence, I could not but remark the warm and glowing appearance which every part of the country ex- hibited. The air was so pure and transparent, that every beam of the sun seemed to reach the earth in unimpaired brilliancy, quickening the luxuriant verdure that covered the fields, trees,
M
UPPER CANADA.
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I
and shrubbery. Beautiful and improved farms lay on each side of the road ; and instead of be- ing immured among forests, as I had anticipated, I saw extensive tracts of land waving in all the gayety and loveliness of harvest
After an amusing ride, which lasted more than an hour, I stopped at La Chine. There is a por- tage between the two places, for the rapids of the St Lawrence interrupt the navigation, and consequently all stores and goods, intended for the upper country, are conveyed from Montreal to La Chine by land. At the latter place, they are put into flat-bottomed boats, called hatteaux, which are rowed up the river, with incredible labour, by Canadians, whom the forwarders en- gage at a certain sum during the season. La Chine is thus rendered a place of some import- ance, which otherwise it would not be ; but still it merely consists of a few dwelling-houses, and several large stores for the reception of the goods. This village is agreeably situated upon the St Lawrence, which expands into a breadth of se- veral miles, and forms what the Canadians term Lake St Louis. The sun was just setting when I contemplated this scene. Not a sound could be heard, but the dull paddhng of a canoe which had just left the shore. The picturesque dress- es of the Indians who sat in it, the glittering of their tomahawks, and the figure of the chief, as
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SKETCHES OF
he stood erect, appearing almost gigantic from the state of the horizon, were all impressive in the highest degree. There is something power- fully affecting in the scenery of a foreign coun- try. Any trivial object, if peculiar to it, will render the mind susceptible of receiving increased emotion from other features, which might have before been so familiar, that they scarcely excited any at all. Often had I contemplated lakes and forests with something like indifference, but the mere introduction of the Indian canoe awakened me to a new feeling concerning them. '
I remained all night at La Chine, and, at an early hour next morning, was provided with an- other calash and driver. This man possessed a most happy disposition, and was altogether so free and degage in his manner, that he afforded me much amusement. Though a carpenter by trade, he kept a calash for the accommodation of travellers, and would either drive a horse or a nail, as best suited his purpose. The Canadian post-horses are in appearance the most wretched animals imaginable, being lank, clumsy, and rough-coated ; but they become both active and spirited under the influence of the whip, which their drivers generally use very freely. I be- lieve no member of the Four-in-hand Club, when mounted on the box, feels more elated than the Canadian peasant does while driving his sorry
UPPER CANADA.
25
ic from ssive in power- a coun- it, will icreased ht have excited kes and but the irakened
1, at an mth an- sessed a ;ther so ifforded nter by ation of 'se or a anadian retched sy, and ive and if which I be^ b, when lan the is sorry
horse and shackUng chariot He is all life and gayety, and talks to his horse and to the traveller sdternately. He points out the beauties of the prospect; and if the carriage or harness gives way, he dismounts and repairs it, regains his seat, and dashes on. He relieves his horse by walking up every hill, and compliments himself upon this sacrifice, by calling to the animal, '* Ah, pauvre cheval! Faus avez un hem maitre,** &c. The Canadian peasantry display a native politeness, a presence of mind, and a degree of address, which, though extremely pleasing, sometimes betray their possessors into too much familiarity : how- ever, there is so much gayety and sentiment in these mistakes, that one cannot but heartily ex- cuse them. My drivers always shook hands with me, and wished me a good journey, before we parted; and they sometimes politely asked me to join them in drinking a glass of cider. The Canadians are dark-complexioned, and generally meagre, although rather athletic. Their eyes are small, sparkling, and animated ; but none of the men have any pretensions to personal beauty.
I stopped to breakfast at a beautiful spot call- ed St Ann's. The grand river Ottawa, in the midst of which is the island of Perrot, here joins the St Lawrence. I now, for the first time, had an opportunity of observing the manners of an American innkeeper of the lower order. Gen-
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SKETCHES OF
tlemen of this description, in their anxiety to display a noble spirit of independence, sometimes forget those courtesies that are paid to travellers by publicans in all civilized countries ; but the moment one shows his readiness to be on an equality with them, they become tolerably po- lite. I found the maitre d'hotel at St Ann's seated at his door, poising his chair on its hind legs, and swinging backwards and forwards. He took no notice of me when I alighted from the calash, nor when I walked into the house ; no — noc even when I desired him to get breakfast ready. But I had forgot myself—" Will you have the goodness," said I, " to order breakfast for me, if convenient ?" " Immediately, squire," replied he, as he rose from his chair, and shewed me into an apartment.
In a short time my host returned, and having seated himself beside me, entered into familiar conversation, and inquired into my affairs, re- specting which I did not fail to give him such information as put his curiosity upon the rack. At first the familiarities of the tavern-keepers used to irritate me a good deal, but afterwards they only appeared ridiculous ; and as it was ne- cessary to submit to them, I found it my interest to do so with as good a grace as possible.
Having been thoroughly scrutinized by " mine host," I was conducted into a neat room, where
i
»
UPPER CANADA.
27
an excellent breakfast awaited me. The house was situated in the midst of an orchard, and. the boughs, loaded with blossoms, clustered round the window, through which I had a view of the grand river Ottawa, rolling majestically, and glittering in the sun. In the midst of the river was the island of Perrot, so luxuriantly wooded, that the foliage of the trees descended to the surface of the water, and completely concealed the bank on which they grew. Numerous birds fluttered in the sunshine, sometimes plunging into the bosom of the forest, sometimes issuing from its recesses to revel upon the surface of the water ; and the kingfisher, with orient plumage, would often spring out of the thick copse, like a fragment of the rainbow darting from behind a dark cloud. All was glorious, animated, and beautiful.
It is necessary to cross the Ottawa here, and the intervention of the island of Perrot occasions a double ferry, and, as it were, divides the river into two branches. We crossed the first branch, which is about a quarter of a mile broad, on a raft. I then resumed my seat in the calash, and we drove along an excellent road, and were soon completely embowered in the forest. JMy situ- ation was new and interesting in the highest degree, for I had never before experienced the sublimity of a real forest, nor witnessed a sue-
Jfflli
28
SKETCHES OF
cession of trees of such magnitude and beauty. Immense oaks grew so close to each side of the road, that the intervening space was merely wide enough to admit the passage of the calash with- out difficulty. The thick recesses of the shade around were impenetrable to the eye, the limited prospect being closed by a rich green obscurity, except where a ray of the sun found its way through some distant interstice among the trees, and betrayed the gUttering waters of a rivulet, or the inviting freshness of a green bank.
On reaching the opposite side of St Perrot, we again embarked in a raft, and were conveyed across the other branch of the Ottawa, and land- ed upon the continent of America.
The country through which we now passed was open, level, and in a high state of cultivation. Red wheat, buck wheat, rye, and Indian corn, were the principal kinds of grain to be met with ; but I saw several fields of excellent barley, and oats were not unfrequent, though they seemed to be stinted in growth, and of inferior quality. But, notwithstanding the fine crops, one might easily perceive that the British system of hus- bandry was not pursued ; for the lands were in- differently ploughed, and for the most part over- run with weeds. The potatoes and turnips were carelessly put in, and had evidently received no attention afterwards. With respect to farming,
UPPER CANADA.
29
d beauty, ide of the ;rely wide lash with- the shade be limited obscurity, i its way the trees, a rivulet.
ik.
h Perrot, conveyed and land-
)w passed iltivation. iian corn, met with ; irley, and y seemed ir qusUty. ne might n of hus- j were in- part over- nips were ceived no » farming,
M 'f
I believe, the French Canadians are fully as bi- gotted as the lower c^ers 6f our Scotch agricul- turists ; for, like the latter, when any innovation is proposed, they invariably refer to the practice of their ancestors, and often act alike against in- terest and evidence.
The houses of the Canadian farmers are almost all formed of wood. The proprietors display no taste whatever in selecting sites for their dwell- ings, which are as often placed in a swamp as on a dry eminence, and never have a tree near them, if it is possible to iavoid it. There is no difficulty in explaining the cause of the aversion with which the Canadians regard trees. Their earliest labour is that of chopping them down ; they pre- sent on every side an obstacle to the improve- ment of their farons ; and, even after the land is cultivated, the roots and stumps impede plough- ing and other field occupations. What would be the conceptions of an uninformed Canadian, were he told, that the Agricultural Society in England give a reward, annually, to the person who plants tho greatest number of trees ?
The country continued extremely level, and perfectly drjr, with the exception of a few scat- tered marshy spots. But the fields, though smooth, had no regularity of form, and were divided by wooden fences. This is annoying to the eyes of a British traveller, who has been
«ill
il
i
iii
m ,
ill l!i
30
SKETCHES OF
accustomed to see lands enclosed with thorn hedges ; for the animation and variety they com- municate to an open and cultivated country, can only be estimated by contemplating a prospect of which they do not form a part.
The road was enlivened with carriages of va- rious descriptions, but I saw very few foot-pas- sengers. Almost every farmer is able to keep what is called an establishment^ viz. a horse and calash; and indeed the heat in Lower Canada, during summer, is so extreme, that no person attempts to walk any distance except from ne- cessity ; therefore one seldom sees any of those humble half-gentleman pedestrians, that are so often to be met with on the public roads in Bri- tain, dressed in tarnished clothes, and carrying bundles over their shoulders, suspended from the ends of their walking-sticks.
I was much struck with the politeness of the common Canadians. They never passed without uncovering ; and when two drivers came within call, they always saluted each other by the word monsieur. The children make a low obeisance to every genteel stranger ; and I cannot help men- tioning a trifling incident which was occasioned by this custom. A little boy, wno had apparently just begun to walk, stood at the door of a cottage, with an immense broad-rimmed hat upon his When I approached, he took it off and
UPPER CANADA.
31
ith thorn they com- intry, can I prospect
ges of va- foot-pas- e to keep horse and T Canada, no person from ne- y of those tiat are so ids in Bri- l carrying I from the
ess of the d without ne within the word eisance to lelp men- iccasioned pparently a cottage, upon his t off and
bowed; but, in attempting to regain the erect posture, he found the weight of his chapeau too great, and fell forward on his face, but without receiving any injury. T thought at the moment, that it would have been well if the British go- vernment had furnished Lord Amherst with a hat of this description, to be used on his first audience with the Emperor of China. It would have occasioned a prostration highly gratifying to his Majesty, and from its being entirely acci- dental, of course quite satisfactory to our admi- nistration.
I now began to think the scenery a little mono- tonous, when a sudden turn of the road brought us again upon the banks of the St Lawrence, and to the rapids of Les Cedres, which present one perturbed expanse of foam, rushing over a rocky bed with terrific grandeur and vehemence. The river is half a mile broad here ; and such is the rapidity of the current, that the water, when it strikes against the projecting rocks, is thrown up in large jets many feet high. The channel must be composed of immense jutting and fantastic- shaped rocks, for the river is so torn and con- vulsed by the inequalities over which it is whirl- ed, that it presents an appearance truly frightful. Distinct bodies of water appear to dispute the passage, and to rush against each other, without intermingling. In some places the stream glides
'*f.
32
SKETCHES OF
in a state of glassy smoothness over beds of stone, till, impeded by fragments of rock, it is dashed into a state of comminution, and partly whirled into the air in clouds of spray, and in these miniature rainbows may be seen forming and disappearing at intervals. The middle of the rapids is occupied by a small island, which, being richly wooded, adds much to the splen- dour of the scene.
Notwithstanding the dangerous nature of these rapids, the Canadians pass down with boats and rafts almost every day, and very few accidents happen ; but when a boat does fill, or upset, the crew inevitably perish.
The inhabitants of Lower Canada propose to render the navigation of St Lpwrence uninter- rupted, by cutting canals at those places where the rapids impede it. This is quite practicable ; but I fear there are not wealth and public spi- rit enough in the two provinces for such an ar- dous undertaking. I say the two provinces, be- cause the inhabitants of both would in an equal degree be benefited by any improvement in the navigation of that river, which ministers in so great a degree to their mutual convenience and prosperity. However, an incorporated company have lately undertaken to cut a canal between Montreal and La Chine, the expense of which is estimated at £80,000 Sterling. It will be
UPPER CANADA.
88
' beds of ock, it is nd partly )r, and in I forming niddle of d, which, he splen-
e of these boats and accidents upset, the
about eleven miles in length, and will receive a supply of water from the St Lawrence. The trade between Upper and Lower Canada is at present so great, that the stockholders in the concern confidently believe, that a large divi- dend will become due to them in the course of three or four years after the canal has been com- pleted.
iropose to ; uninter- ces where acticable ; »ublic spi- uch an ar- /inces, be- i an equal snt in the ters in so tience and
company I between
of which [t will be
B
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S4
SKETCHES OF
LETTER II.
Glengary Settlement— Settler's account of it — Present state of the settlement — Scenery there — Age of the trees — Nature of the soil — Prospects of the settlers — Monotonous scenery- Village of Prescott — Brokeville — Carousing scene there— Ta- vern and ball-room.
I SHALL now introduce you to the Upper Pro- vince, and for the present dismiss the polished and interesting peasantry of Lower Canada, that I may make you acquainted with the blunt and uncultivated inhabitants of Glengary, which is the first regular settlement in the Upper Pro- vince, and contains a large proportion of Scotch, as you may conceive from its national appella- tion.
I entered the settlement in the evening, and the first person I met was a common labourer, whistling and walking gayly along, with his axe over his shoulder. I accosted him, and had some conversation with him, in the course of which he informed me, that he had commenced farm- ing two years before, not being then possessed of subsistence for two months ; but things had prospered with him, and he now owned a house, three cows, several sheep, and seven acres of very
nM
UPPER CANADA.
35
fine wheat. He seemed in high spirits, and con- cluded his narrative with wishing that his coun- trymen could be made acquainted with the ad- vantages which Upper Canada afforded to the poor.
As our road lay through the settlement, I had an opportunity next morning of seeing it, and was rather disappointed, the improvements bear- ing no proportion to what I had anticipated. The majority of its inhabitants were indeed \ery poor when they commenced their labours, and had a variety of discouraging circumstances to contend with, the principal of which were, the peculiarities of the cUmate, the almost inacces- sible situation of their farms, the badness of the roads, and the immense woods which encum- bered the soil. They have, in some degree, sur- mounted the greater number of these difficulties ; but still the settlement is not in a very flourish- ing state, and its inhabitants seem too unambi- tious to profit by the advantages of their condi- tion. A very great majority of the houses are built of logs, and contain only one apartment ; and the possessors display no inclination to im- prove their mode of life, being dirty, ignorant, and obstinate. Few of the settlers have more than sixty or seventy acres cleared, and the generality only thirty or forty ; yet how many comforts, and even luxuries, might persons of
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SKETCHES OF
moderate industry derive from a domain of this extent !
While they were preparing breakfast, at the tavern at which I had stopped, I strolled out for amusement. Diminutive log-houses, sur- rounded with a few acres of cleared land, pre- sented themselves in various directions ; and the feeble vestiges of civilization which these objects exhibited, seemed to be derided by the clumps of immense oaks that every where waved their colossal boughs, as if threatening destruction to all below. A profusion of decayed and half- burnt timber lay around ; and the serpentine roots of trees blown down by tempests stretched into the air in the most fantastic forms. In dif- ferent places, piles of blazing timber sent forth colunms of smoke, which enveloped the forests far and wide. Axes rung in every thicket, and the ear was occasionally startled by the crashing of trees falling to the ground. I attempted to ascertain the age of an oak that had recently been cut down, by counting the circumgirations of the wood, and found it had flourished at least two hundred and sixty-seven years. Its size, however, was very moderate, when compared with that of many others which grew beside it, and which, from their dimensions, I judged to be five or six hundred years old.
The surface here, to the depth of several
■M
UPrER CANADA.
37
of this
at the led out 2S, sur- id, pre- and the I objects clumps ed their ction to nd half- rpentine itretched
In dif- nt forth
forests iet, and crashing ipted to recently girations 1 at least Its size, ompared jeside it, idged to
f several
w
inches, is composed almost entirely of decayed vegetable matter. The witheied leaves, strewed by every autumn, speedily decompose and unite with the soil ; and a thin layer being thus added annually, a stratum of considerable thickness is soon formed, which has hitherto been allowed, in most places, to accumulate without disturbance from the plough or harrow. Fallen trees likewise add a great deal to the surface by their decom- position : they may be observed in all stages of decay, from simple rottenness to that of absolute desintegration. A soil of this description, as you may easily conceive, is rather too rich for the common purposes of agriculture ; and conse- quently the first crops never are so good as those that follow. As a proof of its luxuriant quality, I may mention, that two fields were pointed out to me which had been cropped twenty-one years in succession, without receiving any manure whatever. That part of the soil which has been some time under cultivation presents an appear- ance superior to any thing of the kind I have ever seen ; being formed entirely of a rich black loam resting upon a bed of clay. This combi- nation is peculiarly adapted for agricultural pur- poses, as it possesses the double advantage of being easily worked, and, under proper manage- ment, not capable of exhaustion.
Indeed, were it not for the uncommon rich-
t I
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SKETCHES OF
ness of the soil, which yields profusely almost without cultivation, the settlers could not obtain a subsistence from their farms until after many years occupation. In sowing wheat they use the small proportion of one bushel, and one bushel and a half, to the acre. In England, three are required. This extraordinary difference can alone be accounted for by supposing, that, in Upper Canada, the fertility of the ground causes every individual grain to germinate and come to matu- rity.
If I were merely a theorist, and omitted to take into consideration the influence which the character of the inhabitants of Glengary must ne- cessarily have upon the prosperity of their settle- ment, I might say that their present condition af- forded rather a pleasing subject of contemplation. Provided the slow, but progressive improvement, of the country, is not interrupted by a second war or any other political circumstance, every farmer will certainly soon become independent. This may possibly produce an amelioration in their manners and habits, which are at present suffi- ciently uncouth, and likewise, perhaps, an ambi- tion to distinguish themselves by other qualities than those of prudence and industry. The means of education, now very limited, must increase with the settlement ; and the children of its pre- sent inhabitants, if allowed to enjoy the advan-
UPPEll CANADA.
39
' almost )t obtain er many T use the B bushel three are ;an alone n Upper jes every to matu-
litted to hich the must ne- Bir settle- dition af- mplation. ovement, icond war ry farmer nt. This I in their sent suffi- an ambi- : qualities ihe means t increase of its pre- he advan-
:^^
tage of intellectual cultivation, will be raised several degrees in the scale of society, and their descendants, possessing superior opportunities still, will triumph over rusticity and ignorance, and become respectable alike from their circum- stances and their acquirements.
I travelled upwards of sixty miles, after leav- ing the Glengary settlement, without observing any thing remarkable in the country through which I passed, or meeting with a single adven- ture that is worthy of notice. Half-cultivated fields, log-houses, and extensive forests, all along composed the monotonous scene, except when an occasional glance at the St Lawrence relieved the eye, and awakened in the mind hopes of soon enjoying a more animated prospect. The scenery of Upper Canada is rather destitute of variety and interest. A level country, when in a high state of cultivation, and embellished with villas, gardens, and pleasure-grounds, may appear both beautiful and picturesque, but without these objects, it must always afford a dull and unvaried prospect.
There are two small villages, situated on the bank of the St Lawrence, within twelve miles of each other, called Prescott and Brokeville. — Prescott contains twenty or thirty houses, and likewise a mud fort, which is occupied by a few soldiers. Within the fort stands a block-house,
40
SKETCHES OF
lipi'
proof against musketry. The cannon, planted upon the mud wall which encircles it, are so fixed, that an enemy, although in possession of the ramparts, could not turn them upon the be- sieged without much labour and difficulty, while lie would be completely exposed to the dis- ciiarge of small arms from numerous loop-holes in the block-house. This place is called Fort Wellington, and was a position of some import- ance during the last war. The officer in com- mand would not admit me within the walls, un- til he had ascertained that I was not an Ameri- can ; but this precaution has been quite ineffec- tual in excluding our rivals ; for individuals, be- longing to the army of the United States have repeatedly visited and examined this fort.
Prescott, although no more than a village at present, must eventually become a place of some importance; for it may be termed the head of the schooner and sloop navigation. If proper canals are cut at the rapids in the Lower Pro- vince, schooners, and even square-rigged vessels, will find no difficulty *'i plying between Mon- treal and Prescott ; but they cannot go farther, as, from the latter place to Kingston, a distance of fifty-five miles, the channel of the river is so obstructed, and the current so rapid, that small steum-boats, or flat-bottomed craft, could alone navigate it with safety. Prescott must thus be
UPPER CANADA.
41
made a depot for all the merchandize sent to the western parts of the province, and likewise for all the produce forwarded from thence to Montreal.
The opinion and recommendation of an expe- rienced traveller, induced me to discharge my carriage at Brokeville, and determine upon pro- ceeding to Kingston by water. The road, I was told, was extremely bad, and the face of the country almost a fac simile of what I had seen, consequently I felt no inclination to follow the land-route.
I accordingly secured a passage in a bateau ; and in the evening, after it got dark, I strolled to the side of the river, that I might ascertain whether or not my baggage was safely put on board ; and there I found the crew carousing after the fatigues of the day. They had kindled a fire upon the beach, and were making ready supper. Some reclined around the fire, talking barbarous French, and uttering the most horrid oaths ; others sat in the boats, and sung trouba- dour songs; and a third party was engaged in distributing the provisions. They resembled a band of freebooters. Most of them were very athletic, and had the sharp physiognomy and sparkling eyes of a Canadian. The red glare of the fire communicated additional animation to their rude features ; and their bushy black beards.
42
SKETCHES OF
OT'ii'
and discordant voices, rendered them rather a formidable- looking set of people.
After my return to the tavern, my host con- ducted me up to the second story of his hotel, and into a large room, nearly fifty feet long, and broad in proportion. I could imperfectly dis- tinguish, by the feeble light of a single candle, that there was a bed in each corner of it, and at the same time^ I heard distant stertorous mur- murs, which seemed to proceed from the lungs of some person who was asleep. My attendant informed me that the apartment was a ball-room, and as it occupied the whole upper floor, he had no bedchambers in his house. I inquired if dances frequently took place there : " Well, I guess not," said he, " but I calculate upon there being one next winter; in these low times people an't so spry* as they used to be." I have since found thai very many inns are built upon the same principl*^ as that at Brokeville. To have a ball- room seems to be the height of every publican's ambition in Upper Canada ; and the convenience, comfort, and symmetry, of their houses are often sacrificed, that they may be able to furnish ac- commodations for a dancing party once a-year.
* Lively.
'it
rather a
wa
UPPER CANADA.
43
host con- his hotel, long, and 'ectly dis- le candle, it, and at rous mur- the lungs attendant ball-room, 3r, he had i if dances juess not," being one )le an't so rice found the same ive a ball- publican's ivenience, J are often urnish ac- i a-year.
i
LETTER III.
Bateaux — Water of the St Lawrence — Its singular effecti Canadian boatmen — Lake of the Thousand Islands — Currents —We land upon an island — False alarm — Deer-hunt by torch-light — Party of Indians arrive — Their dress and beha- viour— Supper party — Picturesque groups — A day upon the banks of the St Lawrence — Adventure with a canoe — Tavern, and host and hostess— Mouth of Lake Ontario— View of King- ston Bay.
Early in the morning, I found the boatmen preparing to leave port. There were five ba- teaux, and this number constitutes a brigade. The crew of each boat consisted of five rowers, and a man with a paddle to steer ; and the whole equipment was under the command and superin- tendence of an individual who was styled the con- ductor.
The freshness of the morning breeze was ren- dered truly delightful by the odour proceeding from young pine trees, which grew in profusion on each side of the river ; and as the sun rose, every little gale that shook the dew-drops from their branches, seemed to scatter a thousand gems upon the bosom of the St Lawrence. The noise of the oars sometimes startled the deer which were browzing along the banks, and I occasion-
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SKETCHES OF
ally saw them thiust their beautiful heads through the branches, and then suddenly start away into the recesses of the forest.
The ^ater of the river is exquisitely pure and transparent, and, when it sparkles round the oars, one is almost induced to drink it, whether he feels thirsty or not. The effects which it produces on those unaccustomed to its use, are rather difficult to account for. It occasions nausea, pain in the stomach, and diarrhoea ; but the boatmen, who use it every day, never ex- perience any of those ei.Tects. Several gentlemen who live in the western parts of Upper Canada, and are in the habit of going to Montreal once a-year, told me, that they regularly had an at- tack of the kind I have described during their passage down, but never suffered at all on their way back again. These effects probably proceed from the extreme softness of the water, which, being mingled together in such prodigious quan- tities, and exposed so long to the influence of the sun, loses its carbonic acid, and likewise the greater part of the atmospheric air that is loosely combined with it.
After rowing nearly two hours, we Ian .od up- on a small island, and the boatmen began to make ready breakfast for themselves. Thev take a meal regularly every four hours duri' • • the four and twenty, and it io to be supposed
UPPER CANADA.
45
s through away into
tely pure round the t, whether
which it ts use, are
occasions 'hoea ; but never ex- gentlemen er Canada, itreal once lad an at- iring their 11 on their ily proceed ter, which, ious quan- ifluence of iewise the t is loosely
lanv.cd up- began to es. Thev urs duri'^- e supposed
that the great labour they undergo must create a proportionable appetite; but it does seem asto- nishing that they should be contented with the quality of the provisions they subsist upon. Pork, pease-soup, and b'^'cuit, compose their daily fare ; and though they give their meals the appellations of breakfast, dinner, &c. this distinction is found- ed upon the time at which they are taken, not upon the difference of the articles presented at each. But, notwithstanding all this, they are the happiest race of people imaginable. Inured to hardship, they despise it ; and after toiling at the oar during the whole day, and lightening their laboui with songs and jests, when night comes, they kindle a fire and sleep around it, in defiance of the elements and every thing else.
The men having refreshed themselves, took to their oars with alacrity, and we again stem- med the translucent surges of the St Lawrence. There is something so wearisome and depressing in the steady unvaried motion of the bateaux, ri il the regular noise of the oars, that when the * iit^s of the river presented no variety, I often .c'^; uvi uncontrolable desire to sleep, though I had Lcen particularly warned to resist any incli- nation of the kind, because an indulgence in it would p (luce the ague; however, the fear of an attack was not strong enough to enable me to keep my eyes open, and I enjoyed several slum-
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SKETCHES OF
bers, in the course of the passage, without expe- riencing any bad consequences.
We now entered that part of the river which is called the Lake of the Thousand Islands. The St Lawrence expands into a large basin, the bo- som of which is diversified by myriads of islands, and these are characterized by every conceivable aspect of nature, being fertile, barren, lofty, low, rocky, verdurous, wooded, and bare. They vary in siz i." nnuch as in form. Some are a quarter of a mil g, and others only a few yards ; and, I believe, they collectively exhibit, on a small scale, a greater variety of bays, harbours, inlets, and channels, than are to be found throughout the whole continent of America. Nature seems here to have thrown sportively from her hand a profusion of masses of the material world, that she might perceive what combinations of scenery woulO be produced, when they assumed their re- spective positions on the bosom of the waters.
The number of islands has never been correct- ly ascertained, but it is generally supposed to ex- ceed seventeen hundred. Many of them are of little value, being covered with scraggy pine, and having no depth of soil ; and, I believe, any person whose romantic fancy might inspire him with the desire of possessing one, would find no difficulty in getting it granted by government. But some of the larger islands would form de-
UPPER CANADA.
47
3ut expe-
^er which nds. The 1, the ho- of islands, mceivable lofty, low, rhey vary a quarter ards; and, n a small urs, inlets, hroughout ture seems er hand a vorld, that of scenery id their re- waters, en correct- )sed to ex- em are of iggy pine, slieve, any nspire him lid find no (vernment. form de-
lightful little farms ; and the energies of a fu- ture people may perhaps bring them under cul- tivation, and embellish them with all the beau- ties that art and agriculture can communicate. When this takes place, the scene will realize all that fairy loveliness in which eastern historians have delighted to robe the objects of the mate- rial world.
The scene reminded me of the beautiful de- scription of the Happy Islands in the Vision of Mirzah ; and I thought at the time, that if the Thousand Islands lay in the East, some chaste imagination would propose, that they should be made an asylum for suffering humanity, and dis- tributed according to the respective virtues and merits of those who deserved them.
The current between some of the islands is so rapid, that the boatmen, with all their exertions, can scarcely make way against it. There are parti- cular channels with which the Canadians are well acquainted, and which they invariably follow; for if they ventured upon others, they would soon be bewildered among the islands, and might pro- bably continue in search of the true course dur- ing many days, as has several times been the case.
Shortly after sunset we landed upon a small island, and the Canadians having moored their boats, proceeded to make a fire, as they intended to enjoy themselves for several hours. We were
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just opening a basket of provisions, when we were all startled by hearing shouts, which appa- rently proceeded from people on the other side of the island. The ruddy glare of a fire likewise attracted our attention, and the continuance of the cries induced several boatmen to hasten to the spot where the light seemed to be. My ima- gination was instantly excited ; and when I heard the wind whistling among the trees, and the per- turbed waters of the St Lawrence dashing against the island, and saw a. lurid sky stretched above me, the most alarming impressions crowded upon my mind. All the stories I had heard of the hor- rible atrocities often committed by the Indians rose in my memory, and I already conceived that I saw my companions tomahawked, and their mangled bodies struggling convulsively among the whelming surges of the river.
However, the return of the Canadians put an end to my fears. The supposed Indians were no other than the crew of a brigade of batteaux, and the shouts we heard were raised in conse- quence of their having seen three deer, in the pursuit of which they requested us to join. This proposal was acceded to by all parties, and some began to kindle large fires in several parts of the island, while others stript the hickory tree of its bark, and made torches. Thus prepared we sal- lied forth, some carrying arms, and the others
UPPER CANADA.
49
when we tiich appa- her side of •e likewise inuance of f hasten to . Myima- icn I heard id the per- ing against ;hed above wded upon of the hor- ;he Indians ' conceived wked, and onvulsively ver.
ians put an ins were no »f batteaux, d in conse- leer, in the )join. This ;s, and some parts of the f tree of its ared we sal- the others
'■1
being provided with blazing flambeaux. Intend- ing to surround the deer, and gradually close upon them, we dispersed into a large circle, and sent two dogs among the brushwood to rouse the game, which they soon accomplished, and we accordingly made regular encroachments upon their precincts. The deer, when they saw them- selves thus environed, sprung from one side to the other, leaped into the air, reared upon their hind-legs, and at last sunk down apparently in despair ; but upon the discharge of a couple of fowling-pieces, they again started, and, having escaped our circle, plunged into the river.
Several of the boatmen had remained upon the banks of the island, that they might prevent the deer from taking the river; but when they found this impracticable, they shouted to us, and ran to the bateaux, and immediately unmoored them. The remainder of the crew soon followed, with arms and torches, and they all rowed out in pur- suit of the game. Nothing could be more bril- liant and picturesque than the scene which suc- ceeded. We saw the heads and antlers of the beautiful animals moving with graceful rapidity upon the surface of the water, while the bright- ness of their eyes rivalled that of the transparent drops which sparkled around them. When the shouts of the crew and the dashing of the oars assailed their ears, the exertions they made to
c
^
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SKETC!IIEH OF
escape were inconceivftbly strong — sometimes raising themselves almost entirely out of the water, and sometimes springing forward several yards at one leap. The bustle among the boats, the glare of the torches, and the ferocious coun- tenances of the crew, were finely contrasted with the meekness and timidity of the deer ; and the whole effect was heightened by the islands around, the wild and romantic features of which were strikingly displayed at intervals, when the ruddy light of the torches happened to fall upon them.
Several shots were fired, though apparently without effect; and I began fervently to hope that the deer might escape. Two of them eluded their pursuers; but the bateaux sur- rounded the other, and the Canadians beat it to death with their oars, and, having taken it on board, returned to the shore.
While we were around the fire, dividing the booty, two canoes, full of Indians, suddenly emerged from behind a point of land, and steered directly towards us. The women were seated, but the men stood erect, and managed their paddles with the utmost elegance and dexterity. Their heads v/ere adorned with steel crescents and waving feathers. The rest of their dress consisted of the skins of wild beasts, and long iScarlet cloaks covered with ornaments, which.
:0,:
.&
UPPER CANADA.
51
tliough mere tinsel, had a very shining effect. This was the first time I ever heard the Indian language; and never could its harsh and fan- tastic sounds have been more impressive to any one than they were to me, surrounded as I was with objects the most wild and uncivilized in their character.
These unexpected visitors landed near us, but seemed not at all incommoded by our presence ; for the women immediately began to cut fire- wood, and their husbands, having collected a few poles and some birch bark, set about making a wigwam. At my request, some venison and spirits were sent them, which they received with many acknowledgments.
Assisted by my fellow-passengers, I now spread a table, and obtained the necessary furnishings from our respective provision-baskets. Our repast proved both a comfortable and an amusing one. On one side were the Canadians loitering round the fire in different groups, some half asleep, and others singing and wrestling with their com- rades; while a few attempted to read a halt worn-out French hymn-book, the devout expres- sions in which were heard at intervals among the oaths that proceeded from almost every mouth. On the other side, we saw the Indians seated under their wigwam, and dressing their venison. The rum they had drank began to affect them.
!' I!
i'l,
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The men looked ferocious, sharpened their toma- hawks, and occasionally uttered the war-whooji. The women talked incessantly, and their chil- dren played the Jew's harp. Our party com- pleted the group ; and, though our voices were almost drowned amidst the confusion of tongues, a spectator would easily have ascertained that at least three different languages were spoken on the island.
About four in the morning we again took to our boats, and soon passed the termination of the Lake of the Thousand Islands. However, a strong westerly wind began to prevail, and ren- dered the working of the bateaux so very labo- rious, that the crew were obliged to rest a little every half hour. The Canadians row at the rate of three miles an hour when the weather is per- fectly calm, and, of course, rather more when they have a favourable breeze to assist them ; but, at best, they never go further than thirty miles in twenty-four hours- The average length of the passage from La Chine to Kingston is seven days.
The wind at length became so strong, that we resolved to stop until it moderated. As the day was extremely hot, we remained upon the bank of the river, and constructed a small tent of sails and oil-cloth to protect us from the sun, and laid down under its shade : however, I soon got tired
I
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53
of this, and, having left my companions asleep, I walked out alone. The sunshine was so intense, that the St Lawrence sparkled too bright for the eye to bear ; and at each step I took, a thousand insects sprung from the flowers on which they had been feeding. I wandered along the side of the river, until I reached a little bay paved with smooth rock, against which the glittering waves broke in rapid succession. Here I found a canoe tied to a tree. Having embarked in it, I paddled out from the shore, and laid down at my ease, and committed myself to the guidance of the current. The influence of the heat and scenery was overpowering, and I fell into a half slumber. I was occasionally awakened to a consciousness of my situation, by the radiant flashes which were shot forth by the sun-dipt wings of the humming- birds, as they flew over me. My mind was in a state of perfect quiescence. The most dazzling and enthusiastic conceptions rose in it without effort, and faded away without resistance. Had a superhuman voice told me that I was entering the vortex of the most terrific rapids, I believe I would scarcely have had energy to ascertain whether it was so or not.
When I returned to my companions, I found that they had just been awakened from a pro- found sleep by the fall of the tent ; and, as they would not take the trouble to erect it again, we
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111
' 1
!i"'}
all walked to a tavern at a little distance from the «liore. This tavern consisted of two rooms, and was built of logs, and had a sign swinging before the door, so covered with gilt and emblematic paintings, that it probably cost more than the house itself. We inquired of the landlord if we could get any thing to eat, and he asked, in reply, if we were from the United States. We repeated the question, but he answered that he did not know. However, after waiting a quarter of an hour, we were conducted into the second room, and there found a table amply furnished with tea, beef-steaks, cucumbers, potatoes, honey, onions, eggs, &c. During this delectable repast, we were attended by the hostess, who poured out the tea as often as we required it, and having done so, seated herself in the door- way, and read a book (which I afterwards found to be Miss EdgeworWs Tales of Fashionable Life) ; while her husband, who was a tall raw-boned fellow, occasionally entered the room, and stood gazing upon us for several minutes, with his hands in his pockets, and his hat stuck upon one side of his head.
About sunset the wind fell completely, and the boatmen again set forward, in the confident hope of reaching Kingston early next morning. Nothing remarkable occurred during the night. When we were half a mile below the town, a
UPPER CANADA.
55
from the oms, and ng before iblematic than the ord if we asked, in tes. We i that he a quarter le second furnished es, honey, )le repast, o poured id having and read be Miss %); while id fellow, od gazing hands in ne side of
tely, and confident morning.
the night.
e town, a
sudden turn of the river brought into view the mouth of Lake Ontario ; and though the scene itself was not imposing, yet the reflections it produced were replete with splendour. The mind involuntarily traversed the waters of those immense lakes, which have their source in my- sterious and unexplored regions far beyond the bounds of civilization, and supply a mighty river with resistless and unceasing torrents. Every drop which fell from the oars had perhaps been once agitated by tempests in the bosom of Lake Michigan or Superior.
Kingston Bay was for some time concealed from our sight by a projecting point of land; but when we had cleared this, the dock-yard and shipping came into view all at once. In one di- rection, the great war-ship St Lawrence, and se- veral frigates, floated at anchor, as if guardians of the town, which rose indistinctly behind them ; and in another, two unfinished seventy-fours lay on the stocks. The wind whistled drearily through the chinks in their sides, which had long since ceased to vibrate under the hammer of the carpenter. The whole scene was magical in its effect. We had seen nothing but rocks, forests, and uninhabited islands, during two days, every thing appearing to indicate that we had passed the confines of civilization ; but we now found ourselves in an emporium of busy life, and saw
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vessels of war floating on those waters, whose surfaces) we might well have previously suppos- ed, had never been traversed by any bark larger than an Indian canoe.
rs, whose y suppos- irk larger
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;-?;,- .■
i!; ■ >t.
LETTER IV.
Pleasures of a good tavern— Town of Kingston— Frigates-— N*" val depot and armoury — Kingston during the last war — ^Ar- rivals of emigrants — Equality and the bricklayer — Steam- boat Frontenac — Pleasure of travelling by steam — Lake On- tario—Septennial increase of its waters — Stormy night- Error in the reckoning— Arrival at York.
I SHALL now take leave of the St Lawrence, and vary the scene, by introducing you to the inha- bitants of Kingston, and leading you a ramble through their town, which is the largest in Up- per Cmada. You, who have never experienced the discomforts of travelling through a newly- settled country, cannot easily conceive the plea- sure I felt in occasionally reaching a respectable tavern. For three days I had been disgusted with the dirtiness, noise, and grossness of the Canadian boatmen, and, during is many nights, had been prevented from sleeping by the fumes of rum and tobacco, the bites of musquetoes, and the hardness of the planks which i rmed my bed. The hotel at Kingston happened to afford tolerable accommodations, and I enjoyed them so much, that I believe I was less indus-
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trious in observing the city and its environs than I ought to have been.
Kingston contains about five thousand inha- bitants, including military. The plan of the town is elegant and extensive, but not yet nearly re- alized. Most of the houses are built of lime- storie ; inexhaustible quarries of which lie in the immediate vicinity of the town, and are of the greatest importance to it, as Kingston, being the key to Upper Canada, will always require strong fortifications. There is nothing the least inter- esting, or remarkable, in either the streets or buildings of this place. The better class of peo- ple, most of whom are in the mercantile line, live in good style, but are not very hospitable ; and there appears to be little polish among them, and not much social communication, i. , ; ' ; : if
The natural position and local advantages of Kingston are such, that, by means of proper for- - tifications, ;r might be made almost impregnable. It lies behind a point of laiid, on the extremity of which there is a strong fort that commands the town and the entrance into the harbour so completely, that although an enemy had pos- session of the former, he could not occupy it with safety, nor receive any supplies by means of the latter.
The bay affords so fine a harbour, that a vessel of one hundred and twenty guns can lie close
UPPER CANADA.
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to the quay. The St Lawrence, which carries one hundred guns, was in this position when I visited Kingston, and I enjoyed an opportunity of seeing every part of her. She is built in the plainest style, but is an^azingly strong and beau- tifully modelled. Near her lay the Pririce Re- gent, a sixty-gun frigate, the elegant form and just proportions of which have excited the afl- miration of the best judges of naval architecture. There were several other frigates in the harbour, the names and dimensions of which I have now forgot. : . - (M/". . -w . . #
I likewise visited the naval depot, which con- tains the guns, yards, and rigging of the differ- ent vessels, all separate, and arranged so judi- ciously, that any of them might be equipped in the course of a few hours. There is also a large building appropriated for the reception of spare gun-carriages, masts, cables, tops, &c. I t what gratified me more than all this, was the appear- ance of the armoury, which, in boldness of efiect and neatness of arrangement, equals any thing of the kind I have ever seen, and reflects much credit upon the superintendent. The small arms of the St Lawrence and frigates are placed (dis- tinct from each other) around the walls of a large apartment in the most ingenious and fanciful manner, and so as to occupy the least possible
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I-
space. The effect is very imposing, every article being in a high state of brightness, and fit for im- mediate service. ' i : '1 '') I ;,
Kingston was a place of great importance dur- ing the last war, as it alone afforded us the means of successfuUy carrying on our naval operations on Lake Ontario. You are aware that no af- fair of any importance ever took place between the American fleet and ours; the respective forces were for a long time so exactly balanced, that neither of the parties deemed it prudent to venture upon a general engagement; and the warfare consisted almost entirely of a system of reconnoitering, in the course of which we were alternately the pursuers and the pursued. How- ever, at last, when the St Lawrence was finished, we gained i. decided superiority ; for she made us master of Lake Ontario without firing a single gun, the enemy's fleet never having ventured far out after she left Kingston harbour.
The Americans had built their ships of war with R?uch expedition, and they were greatly inferior to ours in point of strength and dura- bility ; but, on the other hand, their sloops and schooners were admirably ( onstructed, and sailed infinitely quicker and more close to the wind. The Americans certainly excel all nations in modelling small vessels ; and even their common
UPPER CANADA.
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packet-boats are formed with an elegance and beauty, which one will look for in vain among British craft of a similar description.
The soil around Kingston is indifferent, being of a cold clayey nature, and such as would re- quire much lime or plaster of Paris to render it productive. It is not in a high state of cultiva- tion ; and indeed all improvements are confined to the limits of the town, in which there were eighteen or twenty houses building when I was there. .
I frequently amused myself with strolling to the wharfs, and watching the arrival of the ba- teaux, several brigades of which came in every day, full of emigrants, and loaded with their bag- gage. The majority of these people seemed to have no idea that the necessaries of life could be obtained in Upper Canada; for they brought from their native country, tables, chairs, chests of draw- ers, and great quantities of other lumber, the car- riage of which must have cost infinitely more than the articles did themselves.
How quickly do mankind discover those things that gratify their vanity ! Many of the emigrants I saw had been on shore a few hours only, dur- ing their passage between Montreal and King- ston, yet they had already acquired those absurd notions of independence and equality, which are so deeply engrafted in the minds of the lowest
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individuals of the American nation. On accost-^ ing two Scotsmen, whom I had seen at Montreal, instead of pulling off their hats, as they had in- variably done before on similar occasions, they merely nodded to me with easy familiarity. I addressed them by their Christian names, and in- quired if they had any prospect of obtaining em- ployment. " This gentleman," said one, point- ing to his companion, who was a bricklayer, " has been offered four shillings a-day at Prescott, but his good lady does not like the place."
In the evening I embarked on board the steam- boat Frontenac, which was to sail for York at midnight. I went to bed at an early hour, and, on awaking next morning, found myself in the middle of Lake Ontario, and out of sight of land. I could not but invoke a thousand blessings on the inventors and improvers of the steam- boat, for the delightful mode of conveyance with which their labours had been the means of furnishing mankind. Next morning, I got up refreshed; and it required some recollection to perceive that I was not in the Kingston hotel. I immediately repaired to the deck, where I found the greater number of the cabin passengers enjoying the morning breeze, and soliciting an appetite for breakfast.
The Frontenac is the largest steam-boat in Canada ; her deck is one hundred and seventy-
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one feet long, and thirty-two feet wide. She is seven hundred and forty tons burden, and draws only eight feet water when loaded. Two paddle- wheels, each about forty feet in circumference, impel her through the water. Her length is so great, that she answers very slowly to the helm ; but I understand she was built of the dimensions I have stated, that she might cover three seas, and thus be prevented from pitching violently in boisterous weather.
Breakfast being announced by the ringing of a bell, we descended, to the number of four or five and twenty, to a well-furnished table. Of all modes of conveyance, a steam-boat is the most favourable to the excitement of sociality among travellers ; for there are none of those petty miseries or trival annoyances to be en- dured, that so often occur on board a ship or in a stage-coach. At sea, a whole party is some- times incommoded by the complaints and ap- pearance of some individual who suffers under sickness ; and in a carriage, people soon become fatigued, and are prevented from talking by the noise of the wheels. In a steam-boat, however, there is no impediment to lively conversation, or the reciprocal interchange of all those sweet courtesies of life that gild the path of the travel- ler, as pleasingly as varieties of scenery in the country through which he passes^ Agreeable
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rv
company and entertaining incidents smooth the roughest road, and our feelings, our judgment, and even our vision, are unconsciously affected by the degree of personal comfort we enjoy, and the mode of conveyance to which we are sub- jected.— Dr Goldsmith somewhere observes, that the man who makes the grand tour of Europe on foot will make very different remarks, and form very different conclusions, from him who rolls along in a post-chaise. Nothing can be more true ; and, I believe, upon this principle we may ascribe the diversities and contradictions which often chaiacterize the accounts that different persons give of the same country, to the mode in which they have travelled, and the difficulties they have encountered in the course of their journeys. A series of hardships will disturb the placidity of the most philosophic person, and make him believe that the things around him are permanently stamped with the temporary colouring which they have derived from acci- dental circumstances. But he who is whirled along by the magic power of steam, meets with nothing to modify his impressions ; and I would say to all testy and irritable travellers, that the best way of keeping out of the hot water into which every cross accident plunges them, is to keep under the influence of the steam. Lake Ontario is two hundred and thirty miles
UPPER CANADA.
9B
long, and sixty b^ead at its widest part. Its waters are quite transparent and colourless, but vapid and unpleasant to the taste. Soundings are rarely to be met with, except near the shore ; and, as very few islands or points of land present themselves upon its expanse, it is adapted for every kind of navigation, and will, of course, admit vessels of the largest size. The current which moves forward this immense body of wa- ter is distinctly perceptible, being, on an ave- rage, at the rate of half a mile an hour, but varying with the direction and strength of the wind.
• The most remarkable phenomenon which this and the other lakes exhibit, is that increase and rise of their waters which is said to take place at regular periods. It occurs, in a moderate degree, every seven years^^nd to "aT very gredt^fent once in thirty or forty. In the year 1816, the waters of Lake Ontario were seven feet and a half perpendicular above their average height, and Lake Erie was affected in a similar way. I have visited the shores of Lake Ontario seve- ral times, accompanied by a person who resides upon them, whose intelligence and indisputable veracity made me put full confidence in the in- formation he gave, and from whom I received proofs of the accuracy of what I have now stated. I likewise saw the remains of a large storehouse
D
V
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%^
which had been built a few years before, in a situation that seemed quite inaccessible to the lake, although the waters have surrounded and nearly demolished it. >^
This singular phenomenon affords a problem very difficult to solve. The quantity of water that must be required to increase the depth of Lake Ontario, and all the other lakes, seven and a half feet perpendicular, is so vast, that it is im- possible to conceive where its source can lie.— The height of the waters of the lakes, indeed, varies a few inches almost daily ; but this is oc- casioned by changes in the direction of the wind. When it is east, or north-east, the waters are driven back, or at least impeded in their course, and consequently an accumulation takes place, which makes the lakes rise ; but if it blows from the south, or south-west, the direction in which they flow, their waters are hurried towards the St Lawrence, and, of course, decrease in height in proportion to the strength of the wind.
Sir Alexander Mackenzie, during his voyage to the north-west, observed, that the waters of the rivers and lakes which he navigated under- went considerable variation in their height, the increase and decrease sometimes amounting to two or three feet; which proves that this phe- nomenon is not confined to the lower lakes. If this augmentation of the waters took place only
i;|lt -\ ili!>
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67
at irregular periods, we might suppose that it proceeded from the occasional melting of part of those immense quantities of ice and snow which are accumulated in the northern regions ; but even this would scarcely be adequate to produce the effect which cannot at present be rationally ' accounted for. '- ; - •
During locomotion, the mind is little disposed to give continuity of attention to any thing ; and had the Frontenac been furnished with a library, I believe few of my fellow-passengers would have troubled it : therefore, when they had got tired with playing at backgammon and surveying the machinery, the sum of their amusement seemed ' to be exhausted; and the successive occurrence of dinner, tea, and supper, had but little effect in preventing symptoms of ennui from appearing among them.
The night proved dark and unpleasant ; a host of threatening clouds obscured the hitherto; spotless sky, while a dreary blast careered along the lake, and made its waters noisy and turbu- lent. Notwithstanding the darkness, I conti- nued to walk the deck till near midnight, my steps being guided by the irregular light shed by the showers of glowing sparks that flashed in rapid succession from the flue, and were whirled aloft in every direction. At last it began to
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rain, and I retired to my birth : however, after some time, I was induced to go on deck again by the noise which awakened me. The wind having become boisterous, the lake was now excessively rough, and the steam-boat rolled in a violent manner, particularly when she lay in the trough of the sea. The confusion that had roused me was occasioned by the appearance of a light off the bow of the vessel, which was im- mediately believed to proceed from York light- house ; and, as it was too dark to attempt gain- ing the harbour, there seemed no alternative but to lay to till morning. This was accordingly done : however, when the day dawned, and the mists cleared away, it was found that an utter mistake had been made in the reckoning, for we were upwards of twenty miles below York. The light which occasioned this false alarm be- longed to a small schooner, as I was afterwards informed by a gentleman who had been on board of her at the time.
In the morning the boisterous weather had subsided, and a gentle breeze soon dispelled all remains of the storm. However, the fears of some of my fellow-passengers were not so easily dissipated, and many of them appeared at the breakfast table, wan, dejected, and sea-sick.
The steam-boat Frontenac, when the wind is
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favourable, sails nine knots an hour with ease. We fortunately had a strong breeze directly astern, which soon brought us in sight of York, the seat of government, and the capital of Upper Canada.
f I
i.-.»*j
■/v
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LETTER V.
mi
Town of York — Disadvantages of its situation — Proposal to remove the seat of government — Re-embark on board the steam-boat— Lake Ontario at night — Spray of Niagara Falls — Village of Niagara — Its amusements — Affecting incident — Reflections on the condition of emigrants — Road to Queenston — Niagara river — Peach orchards — Canadian peasantry.
The town of York is situated on the shore of Lake Ontario, and has a large bay in front of it, which affords good anchorage for small vessels. The land all around the harbour and behind the town is low, swampy, and apparently of inferior quality ; and it could not be easily drained, as it lies almost on a level with the surface of the lake. The town, in which there are some good houses, contains about 3000 inhabitants. There is but little land cleared in its immediate vici- nity, and this circumstance increases the natural unpleasantness of its situation. The trade of York is very trifling; and it owes its present population and magnitude entirely to its being the seat of government ; for it is destitute of every natural advantage except that of a good harbour. York is nearly defenceless at present, and the
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character of the surrounding^ country precludes the possibility of its ever being made a place of strength. There is no eminence or command- ing point of land suitable for the erection of a battery ; and the fort, which was lately built, is so incapable, from its low situation, of effectually annoying an enemy, that a single frigate might lay the town in ruins without any difficulty. — From this circumstance, it is evident that York is not at all calculated for the seat of govern- ment, which, in colonies particularly, should be either situated in the interior, or, if in an expos- ed situation, nearly impregnable.
I believe it was once proposed by parliament that the seat of government should be remov- ed to Kingston, which town, although not alto- gether unexceptionable, has, from its position and resources, many more claims to this distinction than York; but it seems that the government officers, residing in the latter place, estimated the depreciation which their property would suffer, and the loss which they themselves would ne- cessarily incur, if this arrangement took place, at such an immense amount, that the project was abandoned. It was likewise urged as an objec- tion, that were the seat of government removed to Kingston, the members of parliament for the western parts of the province would suffer much inconvenience, in being obliged to travel a dis-
^ if
/
* ' ,.
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■ t. .'a
1'-
tance of four or five hundred miles every time the legislature met.
Th(j country adjacent to Lake Simcoe has late- ly been talked of as affording an eligible site for the provincial capital. The fertility of that part of Upper Canada, and its inland and central situation, doubtless render it preferable to York ; however, at present, there does not seem to be the least probability that the seat of government will be removed from the spot which it now occupies.
After strolling around York for an hour or two, I re-embarked on board the steam-boat, in company with the greater number of my former fellow-pass,engers. The paddle-wheels were soon put in motion, and we were impelled gaily on towards Niagara, which is thirty-six miles distant from York. It was now evening ; the receding lights of the town twinkled dimly through the rising mists that shrouded the houses and garri- son from our view, and a beautiful moon soon appeared, which clad the waters of Lake Ontario in a " mantle cf light." The air was keen and frosty, but chough I felt cold, I was unwilling to leave the deck. The beauty of the night did not detain me among the dews (for I had seen many lovelier), but Lake Ontario was new to me, and you know I always love to treasure first impressions, the remembrance of which is as dear
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and reviving to the soul in future life, as the warm but imperfect sketches made during the first efforts of genius are to the recollection of a painter. My attention was soon roused by an interesting object ; for one of the passengers ap- proaching, asked me if I observed a faint cloud towards the west. " That cloud," said he, " is the spray which rises from the Falls of Niagara." A thin white vapour was all I could discover ; for we we: 3 yet more than thirty miles distant from the cataract itself. However, I could not soon withdraw my eyes from an object so af- fecting.
We reached Niagara village about ten at night, when, after nearly two hours* contempla- tion of the spray of the Falls, I went to sleep. On awaking next morning, I found every thing enlivened by the influence of a brilliant sun. The Niagara river, at whose mouth we lay, re- flected in its deep and pure waters every rock and tree that adorned its banks, and every little cloud that sailed along the face of heaven. The village, surrounded by plains which were varie- gated with clumps of natural shrubbery, appear- ed neat, gay, and picturesque ; and was crown- ed by a small fort at a little distance, the ram- parts of which were crowded with soldiers. Two schooners had just left the harbour in full sail. On the deck of one of them were several cattle,
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and the lake was so still, that every motion the animals made was pictured in its silvery expanse.
The population of Niagara amounts to seven or eight hundred souls, and it is one of the most thriving villages in Upper Canada. It contains a gicat many merchants' shops, and has a regular market, as the farmers who occupy the country around frequent it weekly, that they may sell their produce, or dispose of it^ to the merchants in exchange for goods. The mouth of the river forms an excellent harbour. Some time ago a considerable number of schooners and small craft plied between Kingston, York, and Niagara, which were employed in transporting goods, produce, and lumber; but the steam-boat now monopolizes almost all the carrying business, to the great detriment and annoyance of the owners of the vessels.
A detachment of military are always stationed at Niagara, and this circumstance tends to make the place more lively and flourishing than it would otherwise be. The village contains some pretty houses, with several decent taverns ; and the military and civilians together form a small society, which, on particular occasions, is improv- ed and augmented by the addition of those fami- lies who reside in the vicinity. During the win- ter season, public dancing assemblies are held pnce a fortnight in one of the hotels ; and, when
UPPER CANADA.
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[Otion the f expanse, to seven ' the most t contains ; a regular e country
may sell merchants ' the river ime ago a small craft
Niagara, ig goods, •boat now usiness, to he owners
stationed s to make g than it ains some erns; and m a small s improv- lose fami- the win- are held md, when
the roads are in a favourable state, these are at- tended by people from all parts of the distritl,. Races likewise occur twice a year, which, though they do not afford much amusement, are of ad- vantage to the place, being the means of assem- bling people together. Two weekly newspa- pers are published in Niagara. The press from which one of them issues has acquired some ce- lebrity, from its having afforded Mr Gourlay the means of carrying on a political cannonade against the provincial administration, during nearly two years.
One evening, as I strolled along the beach of the Lake, in front of Niagara, a woman, whom I had observed at some distance, approached, and, after several low curtsies, requested me to fol- low her ; and, as she seemed to be in deep afflic- tion, I immediately complied, without asking an explanation. She conducted me to a kind of cave, under a high sand-bank, the mouth of which was barricadoed with a chest of drawers, several trunks, &;c. A mattress occupied the floor of this wild abode, and two children played gaily with one another upon it, the one attempting to beat his merry companion with an old pillow, and raising shouts of laughter and delight every time he succeeded in giving a blow. The mo- ther, who continued to shed tears, told me that she and her family were Irish emigrants. They
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had been induced, by a series of misfortunes, to set sail for Canada, with the intention of obtain- ing land, and had, after many difficulties, got thus far in their voyage ; but, being now destitute of money, they were unable to procure a lodging, and knew not where to apply for work, assist>- ance, or information. ** A husband and these two boys," said the woman, ** are all that now re- main to me. My little girl died in the ship, and they threw her into the sea. Aye, sure, that was the worst of all," continued she, in an agony of grief. " Poor babe ! she had neither prayers nor a wake!" , _ - i
On my way back to the village, I was occu- pied with reflections upon the helpless condition of most of the emigrants who come to Canada, and the indifference which the supreme govern- ment have ever manifested about the welfare and prosperity of the colony. Those people, who come to the province with an intention of set- tling in it, are totally destitute of the means of obtaining authentic information respecting the place to which they should proceed, or where or in what manner they should apply for a grant of land. Inexperienced, ignorant of the country, and often disappointed with it at Jirst, it cannot be expected that they should resolutely struggle with the difficulties that present themselves on every side. The slaves of vague reports, and
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trtunes, to of obtain- ulties, got V destitute a lodging, 3rk, assist- and these lat now re- B ship, and e, that was 1 agony of Drayers nor
was oceu- 3 condition to Canada, ne govern- ,he welfare jeople, who ion of set- e means of )ecting the r where or ' a grant of )untry, and
cannot be y struggle Mselves on sports, and
false and exaggerated descriptions, they know not where to direct their steps ; and, after being alternately encouraged^ depressed, and deceived, they, perhaps prematurely, determine to return to their native country, wretched as the asylum is which it at present aiFords to the poor and un- fortunate of all classes. When I was in Quebec and Montreal, I had opportunities of knowing, that many of the hovels of these cities contained crowds of British emigrants, who were strug- gUng with those complicated horrors of poverty and disease, whom the hope of being exempted from such evils had induced to abandon the clime of their birth. The greater number of these peo- ple, when they first landed, had funds enough to carry them to the Upper Province, and even settle them comfortably on their locations; but they knew not where the " promised land" lay, and were detained in Lower Canada, by anxious and unavailing efforts to obtain correct informa- tion upon the subject. All the misery occasion- ed by this circumstance, and various others of a similar nature, might be easily prevented, and thousands of active settlers annually added to the province, if the supreme government would bestow a moment's attention upon the matter, and place in Quebec, Montreal, and the other towns^ an agent, to whom the emigrants could apply for advice and information. I am aware
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that Emigrant Societies have already been esta- blished in the principal towns of Lower Canada ; but such owe their existence entirely to the be- nevolent exertions of private individuals, and are, comparatively speaking, superficial and limited in their operation. Nothing but the interference of the supreme government can effectually rid poor emigrants of the difBculties they have at present to encounter when they arrive in Lower Canada. A regular, cheap, direct mode of con- veyance should be established between Quebec and York for them alone ; they would then be enabled to reach the upper province at a very trif- ling expense, and the concern would not cost go- vernment any thing, as people might be carried up the St Lawrence and lakes for one-third the sum they pay for their passage at present. Wl\pn the emigrants had reached York, I should con- sider further assistance imnecessary. Were all persons to get there as cheaply and expeditiously as the plan recommended would enable them to do, there would be few of those instances of po- verty and distress which are at present so common among new-comers. Almost all emigrants, after paying their passage to Quebec, have what they conceive to be enough, and what really is far more than enough, to pay their expenses to York ; but the present mode of travelling up the country is so unreasonably expensive, and
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the delays and uncertainties which attend their movements are so numerous, that they spend twice as much in the course of their journey as is necessary, and four times as much as would be required, were government to take the charge of transporting them into its own hands. ' '. Some years ago, government gave liberal en-^ couragement to those who were disposed to emi- grate to Canada. Besides paying their passage across the Atlantic, it provided them with ra- tions and farming utensils, during one year sub- sequent to their arrival in the country. But this plan apparently did not answer ; the lowest and most worthless members of society immediately took advantage of the facilities which it afforded to emigration, and lived in idleness as long as they received rations ; and at last sold their agri- cultural utensils and went to the United States. The conduct of these people made government abandon all idea of assisting emigrants farther, than by granting them a certain quantity of land. At first there was too much done for them— wow; there is too little. The mode of assisting the lower classes should always be regulated by the knowledge we possess of their character. They abuse and undervalue every thing they can obtain without exertion or individual merit, partly be- cause their pride enjoys no triumph in obtaining
SKETCHES OF
it, and partly because they suppose that nothing really valuable will ever be gratuitously bestow- ed upon them. For these reasons, it is inexpe- dient to allow emigrants a hse passage to Canada, or to give them any thing but land when they arrive there. The great object is to lessen the expense of the voyage across the Atlantic, and of* the journey through the interior of the country. The passage-money to Quebec might be made so low as £2, provisions included ; and small as this sum is, it may be proved by calculation, that government would not lose any thing by trans- porting emigrants at such n rate, except the use of the vessels that were ei imaged in the under- taking. An individual might be conveyed from any port in Great Britain to York, in Upper Ca- nada, for £3, 3s., if a proper system of manage- ment were pursued both at home and abroad. Every man, whose constitution and age fitted him for the labour of clearing land, could raise this sum without difficulty ; and the more trouble he had in procuring it, the more disposed would he be to value the cheapness of his voyage and journey, and to become industrious when he reach- ed his place of destination. Idle and worthless characters would in some measure be deterred from crossing the Atlantic; while the relief of the honest poor, and the prosperity of our North
UPPER CANADA.
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American settlements, would alike be the result of adopting these simple means for facilitating emigration. < - D" ' " •
Hitherto I have not made much mention of the peasantry of Upper Canada, nor attempted to give you any idea of their manners, condition, or mode of life ; and I have also deferred making various remarks, which were suggested by the details contained in my former letters. My ob- ject in omitting these things was, to be able to concentrate all the information I had to offer you upon such subjects, when I came to describe the most fertile, populous, and important part of Upper Canada. — The portion of the province to which these characters more particularly belong, commences at the mouth of the Niagara river, and extends westward to the head of Lake Erie. This tract of country, from the superiority of the soil, the comparative mildness of the climate, the largeness of the population, and various other cir- cumstances of a local nature, will always be the most valuable part of Upper Canada, and, conse- quently, is at present the most interesting. I shall therefore, by occasional sketches, endeavour to make you acquainted with its inhabitants.
The village of Queenston lies seven miles above Niagara. The road winds along the bank of the river for a considerable part of the way, and, in point of dryness and smoothness, equals any
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turnpike in England. Excellent and improved lands border both sides of it, except where it ad- joins the river; and in these places the farms have a delightful open front, which commands a very agreeable prospect, and lies within call of every vessel that passes. The banks of the Nia- gara river, towards Queenston, are for the most part high and bold, but not rocky or covered with trees ; and, from this last circumstance, they have a tameness which does not harmonize well with the grandeur of the stream that flows between them. This beautiful river, — broad, deep, smooth, and moderate in its course, — affords an excellent harbour for shipping of any burden from its mouth even to Queenston ; and can be navigated to the latter place by experienced persons whether the wind is favourable or not, there being such a close succession of eddies along its banks, that, if a ves- sel is merely steered from one to the other, she may be brought up without difficulty or danger.
The soil and climate here seem to be admirably adapted for the production and growth of fruit Numerous apple and peach orchards ornament the sides of the road, and are, every season, load- ed with a profusion of delightful fruit, which, however, appears to be very little valued by the owners ; for in many places they allow their pigs to range among the trees, and pick up all that fall from ripeness, or are blown off by the wind.
UPPER CANADA.
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These animals, I am told, soon begin to be in- different about delicacies of this kind, and often, at last, become so satiated, that they will eat those peaches only that have very recently dropt from tlie tree. ' , > I '»
These orchards may almost be said to grow wild ; at least they receive no attention after they are first planted, — being neither fenced, pruned, nor manured, at any time. Indeed, the peasant- ry evince the utmost indifference about every thing that is not absolutely necessary to support existence. They raise wheat, Indian corn, and potatoes enough, to place themselves beyond the reach of want ; but rarely endeavour to increase their comforts, by making gardens, or adorning the sites of their rude abodes with those rural im- provements that so often grace the cottages of the British peasantry. Among the humble dwellings in Upper Canada,
No roses wreathing, '
' Or woodbines breathing.
Around the lattice their tendrils spread.
Nor does the bee, in the stillness of a glowing summer day, hum among the honeysuckle, and, weighing down its flowers, rob them of their lus- cious treasures, for the benefit of him who reared and watered the parent plant.
In my opinion, the love of rural economy and improvement, among the lower classes, is a to-
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SKETCHES OF
lerably sure indication that they have virtuous dispositions. Idleness, intemperance, and dis- honesty, are habits which eradicate from the hu- man mmd all inclmation for any thing that is less hideous and deformed than themselves ; while so- briety, industry, and other domestic virtues, give birth to that desire for innocent luxury and useful recreation, which makes the peasant both amiable and respectable, without alienating his affections from the circumscribed sphere that his condition necessarily assigns them.
I had anticipated much pleasure from the idea of being an eye-witness of that neatness, taste, and inviting simplicity, which, I was told, character- ized the peasantry of Upper Canada, and shewed them to be, what they really are, the happiest people on earth ; but I, indeed, felt disappointed, when, even in the oldest settlements, I saw every thing in a state of primitive rudeness and barbar- ism. However, this circumstance did not make me prematurely draw any conclusions respecting the real character of their inhabitants. I first entered the houses and got acquainted with their inmates ; and you, my friend, must do so likewise, in company with me, before you form any pre- possessions either favourable or unfavourable.
M
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LETTER VI.
Village of Queenston — Situation — Ferry — Portage — Romantic environs — Heights — Breadth of the Niagara river — Death and character of General Brock — Last Ameri( '*-: war — Bravery of the Canadians — Effects of the war — Prodigality — Commercial embarrassments — Vanity of the farmers — Tuscorora Indians — Account of their village — Conversation and characters there — Indian hymn — View from Queenston heights — Whirlpool — Thunder storm — Meteojt-ologic;<l phenomenon.
Now that I have reached that part of the province called the Niagara district, I shall lay aside the form of a journal, which I have hitherto adopted, and present you with sketches of the interesting objects I have met with in different parts of the country, without noticing the order in which they fell under my observation. My wanderings through the more westerly parts of Upper Cana- da have been so various, and have taken place at so many intervals, that it will be much better for me to generalize a little, and give you the results of my different journeyings, than to impose upon you the task of perusing a detailed account of them individually.
The village of Queenston is beautifully situat- ed at the foot of a hill, and upon the side of the
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Niagara river, the bank of which is high and precipitous. The imagination is agreeably struck with the first view of the place. On one side of the village is a mountain covered with shrubbery and verdure ; — behind, a rich and cultivated plain extends backwards, which is bounded in every di- rection by luxuriant woods, while in front, the Niagara river glides in majestic stillness, and may be traced, with all its windmgs, till its wa- ters are swallowed up in the vast expanse of Lake Ontario. The soil around Queen ston con- sists chiefly of a red clay, the bright colour of which, upon the roads and declivities where it is exposed, forms a singular contrast, during sum- mer, with the pure green of the trees and fields in the vicinity.
The narrowness of the river here, and its suit- ableness for a ferry, render this one of the prin- cipal channels of communication between Upper Canada and the United States; consequently there is a continual interchange of waggons, cat- tle, passengers, &c. which makes Queenston ra- ther more lively than it would otherwise be. However, all its external attractiveness depends upon the fineness of its situation. The build- ings are irregular and inelegant ; and an air of depression and inactivity pervades the whole place, to a degree I never saw equalled in any village of the same extent.
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Queenston must infallibly acquire magnitude and importance when the province becomes po- pulous and flourishing; for it is situated at the commencement of a portage, which never can be evaded by any improvement in the navigation, it being rendered necessary by the Falls of Niagara ; therefore all vessels, containing goods and stores destined for the western parts of Upper Canada, must unload and leave their cargoes at Queenston, that they may be conveyed overland to Chippo- wa, where the Niagara river again becomes navi- gable. Even now, a good deal of this carrying business goes on during the summer months. The North-west Company forward a consider- able quantity of stores to the Indian territories by this route, and the country merchants receive annual supplies of goods from Montreal, and send down pork, flour, staves, and potash, in re- turn.
The environs of Queenston are beautifully pic- turesque and romantic, and nothing can be finer than the prospect up the Niagara river. Imme- diately above the village its channel narrows very much, and the banks rise to the height of three hundred feet perpendicular, while at the same time they become wild and rocky, and are thick- ly covered with trees of various kinds. In some places they partly over-arch the river, and throw an appalling gloom upon its waters, now dashed
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into turbulence and impetuosity by the rugged- ness of their sloping bed. It was night when I first viewed this scene; and as the moon gra- dually rose, she threw a broken light successively upon different portions of the stream, and some- times brought to view the foamy bosom of a ra- pid, at other times unveiled the struggling and heaving waters of a whirlpool, while the mingled roar, on all sides, excited a shuddering curiosity about those parts of the river that rolled along in darkness.
Over the precipice, on the summit of which I stood while I contemplated this scene, many of the American soldiers had rushed at the close of the battle of Queenston heights. They were so warmly pressed by our troops and the Indians, and had so little prospect of obtaining quarter from the latter, that a great number wildly flung themselves over the steep, and tried to save their lives by catching hold of the trees that grew upon it ; but many were frightfully dashed by the rocks, and others who reached the river perished in their attempts to swim across it. Several, who had dropped among the chfFs without receiving any injury, were afterwards transfixed and killed by falling upon their own bayonets, while in the act of leaping from one spot to another. I almost imagined I saw these unfortunate men writhing in all the agonies of a
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protracted death, and gazing with envy at their companions, who were convulsively catching for breath among the sullen waters below. Were the Canadians inclined to be superstitious, they could not select a more suitable place than this for the haunt and appearance of unearthly beings. The wildness of the scenery, the gloom of the cliffs, and the melancholy incident I have just related, would subject Queenston heights to the suspicion of any people more under the influence of imagination than the Canadians are, and make them conjure up half a dozen bleeding sentinels at the top of the precipice every night after sun- set.
At the ferry, the Niagara river is twelve hun- dred and fifty feet in breadth, and from two to three hundred in depth. The current is very rapid, and the wreathing and perturbed appear- ance of the water shows that its course is much impeded by the narrowness of the channel, which must be entirely composed of rocks ; for, other- wise, the continual and rap^d attrition of such a large river as that which flows through it would undermine and wear away the banks, and thus gradually enlarge and widen its course. I could not survey this noble stream without awe, when I contrasted it in the state in which it flowed be-
fore me, with the with the ocean.
appearance it has when mingling I recollected having beat about
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the mouth of the St Lawrence during two days, and having been alarmed by the prospect oi shipwreck, while in the vessel that conveyed me to Lower Canada; but now the waters which formed the dangerous gulf all passed silently be- fore me, within the narrow limits occupied by the Niagara river. The St Lawrence derives but a small proportion of its torrents from tributary streams, the Ottawa being the only river of great magnitude that joins it. The rivers Chaudiere, Saguenai, Pepechaissinagau, Black Biver, &c. are trifling indeed, when compared with that into which they discharge themselves.
The Niagara river is subject to those periodical alterations in height, which, as I have already mentioned, occur in the lakes. This can be sa- tisfactorily proved by the wharfs at Queenston, some of which are five feet higher above the sur- face of the river than they were in the year 1817, and also by the water-marks left on the perpen-. dicular sand-banks near the ferry.
General Brock was killed at the battle of Queenston heights, and the place where he fell was pointed out to me. The Canadians hold the memory of this brave and exalted man in great veneration, but have not yet attempted to testify their respect for his virtues in any way, except by showing to strangers the spot on which he re- ceived his mortal wound. He was more pppu-
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lar, and more beloved by the inhabitants of Up- per Canada, than any man they ever had among them, and with reason ; for he possessed, in an eminent degree, those virtues which add lustre to bravery, and those talents that shine alike in the cabinet and in the field. His manners and dispositions were so conciliating as to gain the affection of all whom he commanded, while his innate nobleness and dignity of mind secured him a respect almost amounting to veneration. He is now styled the Hero of Upper Canada ; and, had he lived, there is no doubt but the war would have terminated very differently from what it did. The Canadian farmers are not overburthened with sensibility, yet I have seen several of them shed tears, when an eulogium was pronounced upon the immortal and gener- ous-minded deliverer of their country.
General Brock was killed close to the road that leads through Queenston village, and an aged thorn bush now marks the place where he fell, when the fatal ball entered his vitals. This spot may be called classic ground ; for a view of it must awaken in the minds of all those who duly appreciate the greatness of his character, and are acquainted with the nature of his resources and exertions, feelings as warm and enthusiastic as the contemplation of monuments consecrated by antiquity can ever do. Oft, at night, have I
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sat under the thorn tree, when every light in the village was extinguished, and nature partici- pated in the repose that sealed the eyes of mortals. Then the fire-flies, twinkling among the recesses of the distant forests, would be the only objects that exhibited an appearance of life to the eye ; while the Niagara river rolled its sublime tide silently along, and drank, in quiescent luxuri- ance, the floods of liglit that were poured upon its bosom by a glorious moon. On one side, the setting stars were struggling with the mists that rose from Lake Ontario ; and, on the other, clouds of spray, evolved from the mighty cata- ract, ascended majestically to heaven, — some- times shaping themselves into vast pyramids that resembled snow-capt mountains, and some- times extending their volumes into phantom-like forms, which imagination might figure to be the presiding genii of the water-fall.
The last American war forms an important era in the history of Upper Canada ; and as such, it is continually referred to by the people, who, when alluding in a general way to the time at which any circumstance occurred, say that it happened before or after the war. The invasion of the Province excited no attention in Europe, or even in Britain ; for at the time it took place we were engaged, in conjunction with the great continental powers, in a contest so gigantic and
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momentous, that all minor concerns of the same nature were forgotten amidst the anxiety and alarm which the varying anticipations of its re- sult produced on the public mind. However, the hostilities which took place in Upper Canada, although conducted on a small scale, were very interesting in their character, and would fur- nish excellent materials for a work such as is usually called a Campaign. A warfare carried on in a wild and wooded country, and with the assistance of Indian allies, is productive of incidents and events, which never occur in an open field of battle, nor du-' y the rencounter of regular troops.
The bravery of the Canadian militia, which was brilliantly conspicuous on many occasions, has neither been sufficiently known, nor duly appreciated, on the other side of the Atlantic. The regular troops on foreign service have ge- nerally a good opportunity of securing to them- selves all the glory that results from a success- ful campaign, although a part only may belong to them ; and they are always inclined to under- value the services of the militia, and often treat them with contempt and ridicule, merely because they have not been initiated into the minutiae of military discipline and parade. I am aware, that the gallantry of the native battalions of Upper Canada has been kept in the back-ground by
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this want of generosity which prevails among the regular troops.
The last war was productive of most injurious consequences to the colony ; and these have not been counterbalanced by a single advantage, ex- cept that the militia now feel a confidence in the efficiency of their arms, which may induce them to take the field with boldness and alacrity, should hostilities again commence. Before the declaration of war took place, Upper Canada was in a state of progressive though slow improve- ment, and her inhabitants prudently attempted such exertions only as were proportioned to their means. Agriculture was pursued by all classes, and few thought of enriching themselves by any other occupation. But militia duty obliged them to abandon their farms, which were of course ne- glected,— the lands became waste, the cattle were carried away, and the buildings perhaps burnt by the enemy. However, the military establish- ments had brought such an influx of money into the country, that every one forgot his distresses, and thought himself on the high road to wealth, when he found he could sell any thing he pos- sessed for double its real value, and have his pockets stuffed with army-bills, as a recompense for some trifling service done to government. At this time, the abundance of circulating me- dium, and the liberality with which it was ex-
UPPER CANADA.
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pended, induced many people to bring large quantities of goods from Montreal, and retail stores soon became numerous in every part of the country. As the people continued to buy a great deal, and to pay for a great deal, the mer- chants willingly allowed them unlimited cre- dit, erroneously supposing that their customers would always be able to discharge their debts, and that the temporary wealth of the Province would continue. But when peace was restored, when the troops were withdrawn, and all mili- tary operations suspended, the people soon per- ceived that a sad reverse awaited them. They found that the circulation of money gradually decreased, that they could no longer revel upon the bounty of a profuse government, and that they began to grow poorer every day ; while the prospect of returning to their ravaged and uncultivated farms afforded but little consolation, as the spirit of industry had been extinguished by the lavish manner in which most of them had lived during the war. As a large portion of the live stock which the country contained had been carried away by the enemy, or consumed by our own troops, the farmers were obliged to purchase cattle from the Americans, and thus the country was still farther drained of much of the circulat- ing specie, ard ki a way too that produced no commercial ac vantages.
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In course of time, the Montreal wholesale merchants began to urge their correspondents in the Upper Province for remittances, which many of the latter could not make ; for, on ap- plying to those whom they had formerly trust- ed to a large amount, they found that, with a few exceptions, they were alike unable and un- willing to discharge their debts. The country thus fell into a state of embarrassment, which continues to increase: most of the merchants have very large outstanding debts, which, if col- lected by means of suits, would ruin two-thirds of the farmers in the Province ; and should the Montreal wholesale dealers have recourse to si- milar measures, many of their correspondents would become insolvent likewise. Both parties, therefore, judiciously temporize, being satisfied that it is, at present, the most advantageous po- licy they can pursue. ^^
The war has thus been the main cause of the present embarrassed and unpromising state of Upper Canada, and produced this effect in three different ways : first it was the means ot with- drawing the minds of its inhabitants from their usual pursuits and occupations; next it extin- guished that steadiness and spirit of industry which had formerly characterized them; and, lastly, it created a temporary wealth in the Pro- vince, which induced the people to be lavish in
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every respect, and contract debts that were alto- gether disproportionate to their mer.ns of pay- ment. Time has in some degree ameliorated the two first bad effects ; but the merchants have been, and will be, the means of perpetuating the last. The number of merchants that Upper Canada contains, and the mode in which they carry on business, are circumstances equally de- structive to the interests of the colony. Exten- sive credit is almost universally given to the far- mers, not one-tenth of whom have either incli- nation or prudence enough to adapt their ex- penditure to their means ; and, as they generally pay and contract debts in an inverse ratio, their difficulties increase every year, and often at last terminate in the sale of their property, which sometimes takes place with the consent of the owner, but oftener in consequence of a suit. If the merchants desisted entirely from selling on credit, it would be equally advantageous for themselves and their customers. The latter might indeed be sometimes put to a little in- convenience, if they wanted to purchase any thing, and had not produce or money to pay for it at the time; but this would teach them a habit of economy, which they never can acquire while the present facility of supplying their wants exists, or as long as their absurd and mon- strous vanity remains unchecked, and urges them
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to indulge in luxuries and finery to which their condition in life does not entitle them. Had the farmers of Upper Canada been prevented from getting into debt, and had they remained satisfied with homespun^ they would now enjoy, in its fullest extent, that independence which they profess to value so highly, but the substan- tial part of which they have wholly lost, as there is hardly an individual among them who is not liable to have an execution served against him when it suits the interest of those to whom he is indebted.
Lest this dissertation upon the effejts of the war should become tiresome, I shall abandon the subject, and take you to visit the Tuscorora In- dians, who have a village on the American fron- tier, a few miles from Lewiston. The village consists of seventy or eighty houses, which are built of logs, and extend along a road three miles in length. On reaching the first habita- tion, I entered it without any ceremony, and found two Indians, sitting cross-legged on a bed, smoking tomahawk pipes; they had the most drowsy contented air possible, and hardly took the trouble to turn their eyes upon me. Near them was an old squaw repairing mocassins, and a young man eating butter-milk and potatoes. Unfortunately, none of the party understood English, and I was obliged, after having remain-
UPPER CANADA.
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eh their 1. Had revented emained w enjoy, ;e which substan- , as there 10 is not linst him lom he is
cts of the andon the jorora In- •ican fron- le village which are oad three •st habita- lony, and on a bed, the most irdly took ne. Near assins, and potatoes, mderstood ig remain-
ed some time in the middle of the floor nearly unnoticed, to proceed to another house. I vi- sited several habitations, and generally found their inmates engaged much in the same man- ner as I have described: the beds, rooms, and kitchen utensils, were all odiously dirty, and • nre of the families seemed to liave acquired t{ p domestic habits of white people. At last, in one of the huts, I found a woman who spoke English well, and I immediately entered into conversation with lier. She informed me that the village contained about two hundred souls, . but that a few months before the population had amounted to more than three hundred: however, a large number of the inhabitants had removed to the Grand River in consequence of religious differences, so that all who remained were professing Christians. " What prevented the others from receiving the faith?" said I.- - " Oh !" returned she, " the same devil, I sup- pose, that makes the white people Uve so bad." — « Were those Indians that left the village very wicked ?" — " Not so very ; but they thought the Great Spirit had made them only to dance, and sing, and hunt, and get drunk; and they never had a Bible in their hands from one month to another; and when we advised them, they were angry, and said they liked their own god hest." — " I suppose you have none but good
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people among you now ?" — " Some of them only pretend to be good ; but if they're not true, it will be the worse for them afterwards." t ?
Mr Crane, a missionary, preaches in the Tus- corora village; but unfortunately he does not understand the Indian language, and is conse- quently obliged to use an interpreter. He has taught many of the inhabitants to read and write, as also to understand the gospel of St John, which is translated into Mohawk ; and I am told they are very regular in their attendance at church.
At the last house I visited, I found the inha- bitants far advanced in literary attainments. An old man, after inquiring about the state of public affairs in Canada, proceeded to give me a sum- mary of the politics of Europe ; and though he made some very amusing blunders, he showed that he had read a great many newspapers. One of his sons, with an air of vanity, produced a paper book, in which he had written the various hymns that the missionaries had translated into Indian. I gratified him much by copying part of one, which I annex, and hope you will find it more intelligible than I do ! —
FLORIDA.
Nyoh son gwea lea rouh
Tak wa ya ta te rist Ne wa-on-ny, ne<fah-hah-ha,
Kyea-te-ry, ogh-wlien-tsya.
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hem only t true, it
the Tus- does not is conse- He has and write, »hn, which told they church. I the inha- aents. An e of public ne a sum- though he he showed jpers. One )roduced a the various islated into pying part wiU find it
::-ix:
Ne-on-gwe-hon-gon-ah , ., . ' Niyoh, ra-goh-8on-te
'' Rots-8e-noe-n)r, ra-on gwea sa
Oni-you-ton-ha-rouh. ' '
He next directed my attention to some of his drawings, which were ostentatiously pasted upon the walls of the house. One large piece was a representation of the battle of Waterloo, and, in consonance with the Indian taste, it exhibited a great deal of bloodshed and slaughter. Several other of the young artist's productions werie pohited out to my notice, one of which I pur- chased, that I might give him more substantial proofs of my admiration than mere praise could bestow.
' The inhabitants of the Tuscorora village pos- sess a considerable number of cows and hogs, with a few horses. Some of them have likewise small gardens ; but I could not ascertain whence they derived their subsistence, as there is no hunting ground near Lewiston.
The Indians are far from being stupid, al- though, to a superficial observer, they have very much that appearance. They are very reserved, scarcely ever speaking to the white people, ex- cept when spoken to ; and it is difficult to excite in them any kind of emotion, for they conceive it a piece of weakness to be affected by astonish-
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ment, joy, or anxiety. They slumber away a great part of their lives, sitting with legs crossed, smoking their pipes, and, I suppose, building castles in the air.
The prospect from the top of Queenston moun- tain is the finest and most extensive that Upper Canada alfords, and, in an eminent degree, -com-^ bines the beautiful and the magnificent. The wild and majestic precipices which engulf one part of the Niagara river, the windings and mir- rored expanse of that noble body of water, the dim and undiscoverable extent of Lake Ontario, together with the verdant orchards, thick forests, and improved fields, glowing beneath a pure sky, collectively form a scene of admirable effect and composition. Even York, which is thirty-six miles distant, and lies very low, can be seen from the summit of this hill during clear weather.
The road towards Niagara Falls leaves the bank of the river a little way above Queenston, and winds through a country more beautiful, cultivated, and inviting, than any other part of the Province. The farms here, having been long occupied, are well cleared; and the road being excellent, and enlivened with a close succession of houses, the whole scene presents an aspect somewhat civilized and comfortable. This por- tion of Upper Canada, from its comparatively high state of cultivation, its nearness to the fron-
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away a } crossed, building
m moun- at Upper ree,*com* nt. The gulf one and mir- ater, the
Ontario, ik forests, pure sky, effect and thirty-six seen from ather. javes the ueenston, beautiful, er part of been long )ad being succession a,n aspect This por- paratively
the fron-
I 4
tier, and its other local advantages, forms a more agreeable place of residence than is to be met with any where around.
About four miles above Queenston, there is a singular and interesting part of the Niagara river, called the Whirlpool. The banks here are extremely high and perpendicular; and, in addition to the natural channel, the current of the river has formed a semicircular excavation in them resembhng a small bay. The mouth of it is more than a thousand feet wide, and its length about two thousand. The current, which is ex- tremely rapid, whenever it reaches the upper point of this bay, forsakes the direct channel, and sweeps wildly round the sides of it ; when, having made this extraordinary circuit, it regains its proper course, and rushes with perturbed ve- locity between two perpendicular precipices, which are not more than four hundred feet asunder. The surface of the whirlpool is in a state of continual agitation. The water boils, mantles up, and wreathes, in a manner that proves its fearful depth and the confinement it suffers; and trees, that come within the sphere of the current, are swept along with a quivering zigzag motion which it is difficult to describe. This singular body of water must be several hun- dred feet deep, and has not hitherto been frozen over, although in spring the broken ice that de-
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scends from Lake Erie collects in such quantities upon its surface, and becomes so closely wedged together, that it resists the current, and remains till warm weather breaks it up. The whirlpool is one of the greatest natural curiosities in the Upper Province, and is the more interesting to the mind, as its formation cannot be rationally accounted for.
While examining this singular spot, a heavy shower of rain came on, which obliged me to take shelter under a projecting cliff. Terrific thun- der and vivid lightning soon began to accompany the torrent which poured from the clouds, and I felt much alarmed, never having before witness- ed a storm so violent and appalling. A strong wind tossed about the trees that grew near the banks of the river, sometimes bending them to such a degree, that their boughs lashed the wa- ter, and sometimes bringing the branches so suddenly into collision, that they were thereby shattered against each other. A host of black clouds at first covered the sky ; but in a few minutes a great portion of it was unveiled in that state of transparent and dewy brightness which often succeeds a storm, and two rainbows, — ^resplendent heralds of peace among the ele- ments,— soon appeared. But the other parts of the heavens continued dark and lowering as ever, while flashes of forked lightning darted
1 1 ^W :
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quantities ly wedged id remains
whirlpool ies in the 'resting to
rationally
>t, a heavy me to take rific thun- iccompany »uds, and I re witness-
A strong w near the ig them to ed the wa- ranches so Te thereby st of black it in a few mveiled in
brightness 0 rainbows, ng the ele- ler parts of owering as nng darted
over them in rapid succession, till a sudden change of the wind altered the disposition of the clouds with astonishing celerity, and conveyed the tempest to that part of the firmament where the calm had formerly been. This was repeated twice or thrice in the course of half an hour, so that the contrasts which the sky exhibited dur- ing this time v/ere brilliant, unexpected, and in- teresting, beyond all description.
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LETTER VII.
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Niagara Falla— Different views of them— -View from the Table Rock — Rainbows— A bold experiment— Appearance of the sheet of water— Noise — Difficult road to the bottom of the cataract — A perilous attempt there — ^View from the river under the cataract — American Fall — Dimensions of the Falls —People carried over them— Anecdote of an Indian— Wild ducks — Visit to Manchester — Mr Porter's bridge above the Falls — Goat Island — Speculations — Rapids of the Niagara river.
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Now that I propose to attempt a description of the Falls of Niagara, I feel myself threatened with a return of those throbs of trembling ex- pectation, which agitated me on my first visit to these stupendous cataracts, and to which every person of the least sensibility is liable, when he is on the eve of seeing any thing that has strongly excited his curiosity, or powerfully affected his imagination. I fear I will not be able to convey a correct idea of the scene I mean to describe. Yet, anxious as I am that you should have jusif conceptions of it I would not willingly have accepted your company when I first visited Niagara Falls, — as any object that did not enter into the real composition of the mighty scene, would have proved a source of painful iuterrup-
UPPER CANADA.
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n the Table Eince of the itom of the a the river of the Falls dian— Wild ;e above the the Niagara
ription of hreatened bling ex- st visit to ich every krhen he is I strongly fected his to convey
describe, have justf jgly have st visited
not enter ity scene,
interrup-
i
tion to me while engaged in contemplating its magnificent features.
The form of Niagara Falls is that of an irre- gular semicircle, about three quarters of a mile in extent. This is divided into two distinct cas- cades by the intervention of Goat Island, the extremity of which is perpendicular, and in a line with the precipice over which the water is projected. The cataract on the Canada side of the river is called the Horseshoe, or Great Fall, from its peculiar form — and that next the Unit- ed States the American Fall.
Three extensive views of the Falls may be obtained from three different places. In general, the first opportunity travellers have of seeing the cataract is from the high-road, which, at one point, lies near the bank of the river. This place, however, being considerably above the level of the Falls, and a good way beyond them, affords a view that is comparatively imperfect and unimposing.
The Table Rock, from wiiich the Falls of Niagara may be contemplated in all their gran- deur, lies on an exact level with the edge of the cataract on the Canada side, and indeed forms a part of the precipice over which the water gushes. It derives its naiiie from the circum- stance of its projecting beyond the cliffs that support it like the leaf of a table. To gain this
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position, it is necessaiy to descend a steep bank, and to follow a path that winds among shrub- bery and trees, which entirely conceal from the eye the scene that awaits hina who traverses it. When near the termination of this road, a few steps carried me beyond all these obstructions, and a magnificent amphitheatre of cataracts burst upon my view with appalling suddenness and majesty. However, in a moment the scene was concealed from my eyes by a dense cloud of spray, which involved me so completely, that I did not dare to extricate myself. A mingled rushing and thundering filled my ears. I could see nothing except when the wind made a chasm in the spray, and then tremendous cataracts seem- ed to encompass me on every side, while below, a raging and foamy gulf of undiscoverable extent lashed the rocks with its hissing waves, and swal- lowed, under a horrible obscurity, the smoking floods that were precipitated into its bosom.
At first the sky was obscured by clouds, but after a few minutes the sun burst forth, and the breeze subsiding at the same time, permitted the spray to ascend perpendicularly. A host of pyramidal clouds rose majestically, one after an- other, from the abyss at the bottom of the Fall ; and each, when it had ascended a little above the edge of the cataract, displayed a beautiful rainbow, which in a few moments was gradually
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transferred into the bosom of the cloud that im- mediately succeeded. The spray of the Great Fall had extended itself through a wide space, directly over me, and, receiving the full influ- ence of the sun, exhibited a luminous and mag- nificent rainbow, which continued to over-arch and irradiate the spot on which I stood, while I enthusiastically contemplated the indescribable
scene. . .; ..',: , ,.,^:v..,.,.
Any person, who has nerve enough (as I had), may plunge his hand into the water of the Great Fall after it is projected over the preci- pice, merely by lying down flat, with his face beyond the edge of the Table Rock, and stretch- ing out his arm to its utmost extent. The ex- periment is truly a horrible one, and such as I would not wish to repeat; for, even to this day, I feel a shuddering and recoiling sensation when I recollect having been in the posture above described. . . , • . . . • »,: ; ., i j
The body of water which composes the mid- dle part of the Great Fall is so immense, that it descends nearly two-thirds of the space without being ruflied or broken, and the solemn calmness with which it rolls over the edge of the precipic is finely contrasted with the perturbed appear- ance it assumes after having reached the gulf below. But the >vater towards each side of the Fall is shattered the moment it drops over the
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rock, and loses as it descends, in a great measure, the character of a fluid, being divided into pyra- midal-shaped fragments, the bases of which are turned upwards. The surface of the gulf below the cataract presents a very singular aspect ; seem- ing, as it were, filled with an immense quantity of hoar frost, which is agitated by small and rapid undulations. The particles of water are dazzlingly white, and do not apparently unite together, as might be supposed, but seem to continue for a time in a state of distinct comminution, and to repel each other with a thrilling and shivering motion which cannot easily be described. '
The noise made by the Horseshoe Fall, though very great, is infinitely less than might be ex- pected, and varies in loudness according to the state of the atmosphere. When the weather is clear and frosty, it may be distinctly heard at the distance of ten or twelve miles ; but much further when there is a steady breeze : however, I have frequently stood upon the declivity of the high bank that overlooks the Table Rock, and distinguished a low thundering only, which at times was altogether drowned amidst the roar- ing of the rapids above the cataract. In my opinion, the concave shape of the Great Fall ex- plains this circumstance. The noise vibrates from one side of the rocky recess to the other, and a little only escapes from its confinement ;
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and even this is less distinctly heard than it would otherwise be, as the profusion of spray renders the air near the cataract a very indiffer- ent conductor of sound.
The road to the bottom of the Fall presents many more difficulties than that which leads to the Table Rock. After leaving the Table Rock, the traveller must proceed down the river nearly half a mile, where he will come to a small chasm in the bank, in which there is a spiral staircase en- closed in a wooden building. By descending this stair, which is seventy or eighty feet perpendicu- lar height, he will find himself under the preci- pice on the top of which he formerly walked. A high but sloping bank extends from its base to the edge of the river ; and on the summit of this there is a narrow slippery path, covered with angular fragments of rock, which leads to the Great Fall. The impending cliffs, hung with a profusion of trees and brushwood, overarch this road, and seem to vibrate with the thunders of the cataract. In some places they rise abruptly to the height of one hundred feet, and display upon their surfaces, fossil shells, and the organic remains of a former world ; thus sublimely lead- ing the mind to contemplate the convulsions which nature has undergone since the creation. As the traveller advances, he is frightfully stun- ned by the appalling noise; clouds of spray
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sometimes envelope him, and suddenly check his faltering steps, — ^rattlesnakes start from the cavi- ties of the rocks, and the scream of eagles soaring among the whirlwinds of eddying vapour which obscure the gulf of the cataract, at intervals an- nounce that the raging waters have hurled some bewildered animal over the precipice. After scrambling among piles of huge rocks that ob- struct his way, the traveller gains the bottom of the Fall, where the soul can be susceptible only of one emotion, — that of uncontrollable terror.
It was not until I had, by frequent excursions to the Falls, in some measure familiarized my mind with their sublimities, that I ventured to explore the penetralia of the Great Cataract. The precipice over which it rolls is very much arched underneath, while the impetus which the water receives in its descent projects it far beyond the cliff, and thus an immense Gothic arch is formed by the rock and the torrent. Twice I entered this cavern, and twice I was obliged to retrace my steps, lest I should be suffocated by the blast of dense spray that whirled around me ; however, the third time, I succeeded in advancing about twenty-five yards. Here darkness began to en- circle me ; on one side, the black cliff stretched itself into a gigantic arch far above my head, and on the other, the dense and hissing torrent formed an impenetrable sheet of foam, with
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which I was drenched in a moment. The rocks were so slippery, that I could hardly keep my feet, or hold securely by them ; while the horrid din made me think the precipices above were tumbling down in colossal fragments upon my head. •
It is not easy to determine how far an indi- vidual might advance between the sheet of water and the rock ; but were it even possible to ex- plore the recess to its utmost extremity, scarcely any one, I believe, would have courage to attempt an expedition of the kind.
A little way below the Great Fall, the river is, comparatively speaking, so tranquil, that a ferry- boat plies between the Canada and American shores, for the convenience of travellers. When I first crossed, the heaving flood tossed about the skiff with a violence that seemed very alarm- ing ; but as soon as we gained the middle of the river, my attention was altogether engaged by the surpassing grandejir of the scene before me. I was now within the area of a semicircle of ca- taracts, more than three thousand feet in extent, and floated on the surface of a gulf, raging, fa- thomless, and interminable. Majestic cliffs, splen- did rainlio ,/s, lofty trees, and columns of spray, were the gorgeous decorations of this theatre of wonders, while a dazzling sun shed refulgent glories upon every part of the scene. — Surround-
G
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ed with clouds of vapour, and stunned into a dtate of confusion and terror by the hideous noise, I looked upwards to the height of one hundred and fifty feet, and saw vast floods, dense, awful, and stupendous, vehemently bursting over the precipice, and rolling down, as if the windows of heaven were opened to pour another deluge upon the earth. Loud sounds, resembling dis- charges of artillery or volcanic explosions, were now distinguishable amidst the watery tumult, and added terrors to the abyss from which they issued. The sun, looking majestically through the ascending spray, was encircled by a radiant halo ; whilst fragments of rainbows floated on every side, and momentarily vanished only to give place to a succession of others more brilliant. Looking backwards, I saw the Niagara river, again become calm and tranquil, rolling magni- ficently between the towering cliffs that rose on either side, and receiving showers of orient dew- drops from the trees that gracefully overarched its transparent bosom. A gentle breeze ruffled the waters, and beautiful birds fluttered around, as if to welcome its egress from those clouds and thunders and rainbows, which were the heralds of its precipitation into the abyss of the cataract.
The American Fall, which it is quite unne- cessary to describe, is higher than the Horseshoe, its pitch being 164 feet : however, the quantity
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of water which rolls over is not nearly so great as in the former. Here, as on the Canada side, there is a wooden stairca£;e, by which the most nervous and timid person may descend to the bottom of the cataract with ease and safety.
The Niagara Falls appear to the observer of a magnitude inferior to what they really are, because the objects surrounding do not bear a due pro- portion to them. The river, cliffs, and trees, are on a comparatively small scale, and. add little to the composition or grandeur of the scene ; there- fore, he who contemplates the cataracts, uncon- sciously reduces them to such dimensions as cor- respond with those of the contiguous objects: thus divesting one part of the scene of a good deal of its magnificence, without communicating any additional grandeur to the other.
The extent of the Falls has never been cor- rectly ascertained, as, indeed, their peculiar form, and several other circumstances, render this im- possible. The height of the Great Fall, as taken with a plumb-line by some engineers from the United States, was found to be 1 %9 feet 9 inches. Its curve is supposed to extend aiOO feet, and its arc may measure nearly half that space. The breadth of Goat Island, which divides the two cataracts, has been found to be 984 feet, and that of the American fall 1140 feet. Therefore the whole circumference of the precipice over which
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the cataracts fall is 4224 feet, and the width of the cataract itself 3240 feet. At one time, the Table Rock extended fifty feet beyond the cliffs that support it, but its projection is not so great at present.
There have been several instances of people being carried over the Falls, but I believe none of the bodies ever were found. The rapidity of the river, before it tumbles down the precipice, is so great, that a human body would certainly be whirled along without sinking ; therefore, some of those individuals to whom I allude, pro- bably retained their senses till they reached the edge of the cataract, and even looked down upon the gulf into which they were the next moment precipitated.
Many years ago, an Indian, while attempting to cross the river above the Falls, in a canoe, had his paddle struck from his hands by the rapidity of the current. He was immediately hurried towards the cataract, and, seeing that death was inevitable, he covered his head with his cloak, and resigned himself to destruction. However, when he approached the edge of the cataract, shuddering nature revolted so strongly, that he was seen to start up and stretch out his arms ; but the canoe upset, and he was instantly in- gulfed amidst the fury of the boiling surge. A dog, which I have seen, was carried over the
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ridth of me, the he cliffs so great
f people ve none pidity of recipice, certainly herefore, ide, pro- 2hed the wn upon moment
;empting
inoe, had
rapidity
hurried eath was lis cloak, lowever,
cataract, ', that he his arms ; :antly in- iirge. A over the
■I
Great Fall some years ago, and suffered no in- jury except the fracture of two of his ribs. Dead wild-ducks are found in great numbers along the banks of the river, near the bottom of the cata- ract, on the mornings that succeed dark and stormy nights. Some people suppose that these animals are carried over while asleep ; but more probably they get entangled among the rapids above, and are swept away before they are aware of their danger.
The country around Niagara Falls is thickly inhabited, exquisitely beautiful, and in a high state of cultivation : and there are several houses very near the cataract. One, which belongs to Samuel Street, Esq., is but a short distance above the Table Rock, and within a few yards of the magnificent Rapids of the Niagara river. On an eminence, a little way beyond this, stands the residence of the Honourable Thomas Clark, which overlooks the Great Fall, the Rapids, Goat Island, with a considerable part of the river, and commands a prospect beyond all dispute the most sublime and romantic in the world.
I shall now give you a cursory account of the visit I made to Manchester, that I might survey the bridge which was lately erected there, under the auspices of that public spirit and enterprise which eminently distinguish the Honourable Augustus Porter. I crossed the ferry at Queen-
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ston, and undertook the journey on foot, that I might have a full opportunity of examining the banks of the Niagara river from the latter place to the Falls. Goat Island lies about a thousand feet from the American shore; and such is the velocity of the current between the two banks, that most people would consider the scheme of raising a bridge there altogether chimerical, were not the thing already effected. Mr Porter first placed his bridge near the upper extremity of the island, but the ice destroyed it; however, he soon, with admirable spirit and perseverance, commenced another on a better plan, and in a more advantageous situation. This structure, which is now completed, combines, in an emi- nent degree, both strength and simplicity. Each of the piers is formed of a very strong wooden box, filled with large stones and gravel, sunk in the river, upon which is placed the body of the bridge, consisting of plank, and sufficiently strong and wide to admit carriages of any de- scription. The greatest depth of water under it is about seven feet, and the velocity of the cur- rent perhaps exceeds eighteen knots an hour.
Goat Island contains about seventy acres of excellent soil, and is covered with fine timber. A carriage-road winds round it, from which small paths diverge, leading to those parts of its rocky shores, where the different aspects of the
i
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;, that I ling the er place lousand \i is the » banks, [leme of lal, were ter first mity of owever, verance, ind in a :ructure, an emi- Each wooden sunk in body of iiciently any de- under it the cur- hour, acres of
timber. 1 which
ts of its s of the
i
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Falls and Rapids may be viewed to most advan- tage. The beauties of this island are equally numerous and enchanting — the variety of pros- pect it affords is indescribable — the luxuriance and verdure which crown its banks bespeak a paradise; while the wild flowers that adorn them, and are nourished by the spray of the cataract, appear to possess a fragrance and a beauty altogether peculiar and exquisite. Oft> times volumes of snow-white vapour, among which the prismatic colours appear with change- ful lustre, float along the clifls of the island, glo- riously enveloping them in the effulgence of heaven, and, as it were, isolating the terrestrial elysium which they encircle in the bosom of clouds, lest its delights should become common to the rest of the world.
That the Falls of Niagara were at one time much lower down the river than they are at present, is a fact which can be proved aUke by reason and observation. The rapidity with which the continual attrition of a large body of water wears away the hardest rocks is known to every one, and has been exemplified in the changes which Niagara Falls have undergone, both in form and position, during the short time they have been under the observation of civilized beings. Most of the oldest inhabitants of Upper Canada agree in their statements re-
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specting the alteration which has taken place in the shape of the Great or Horseshoe Cataract within their recollection. It now indeed bears no resemblance whatever to a horseshoe, being an irregular concave, with a deep indentation towards its centre. Not more than forty or forty-five years have elapsed since Europeans first began to settle near the Falls ; and, conse- quently, we possess no authentic information about them previous to that time. However, the Iroquois, a formidable and warlike nation of Indians, occupied the country around the head of Lake Ontario for a long period before 1763, when Canada was ceded to Britain ; and it has often occurred to me, that if some one would make inquiry among the existing remnant of that tribe, he would probably discover various traditions that might enable us to ascertain where the Falls were situated several centuries ago.
The Falls could not possibly have been farther down the river than Queenston (which is seven miles below their present site) ; for the pitch or elevation which occasions them begins there, and is called the Mountain. That their site was at this place seems highly probable, from several circumstances. The precipices which form the two sides of the river have a close resemblance to each other in form and outline, and the ele-
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vations of their respective strata exactly corre- spond. The cliffs, in many places, bear distinct marks of the agency of ivater, sixty or seventy feet above the present level of the river, and are, in a great measure, destitute of that roughness, and those projecting points, which always cha- racterize rocks that have been disunited by a convulsion of nature. At Queenston Ferry, the river is at least on'i hundred feet deeper than any where below ; and there the basin of the cataracts must have been originally, if they ever were so far below their present situation, as it is reason- able to suppose they must once have been.
In the course of a few centuries Niagara Falls will probably desert Goat Island, and, by wearing away the rocks around, leave it isolated in the midst of the river, as a colossal pillar, carved by the resistless hand of nature, and a splendid and astonishing monument, from which posterity, by turning to the records of the present day, may learn what progress the cataracts have made to- wards Lake Erie within a certain period of time. When they have worked their way through twenty miles of rock, and reached the mouth of this lake (if it be allowable even to speculate upon the possibility of such an event), a total change will take place in their form. The largest body of water being always towards the centre of the cataract, will, by its comparatively greater attri-
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tion, make the precipice assume a concave form, similar to what it has at present in the Great Fall; and as Lake Erie is not confined within a narrow channel, like the Niagara river, but ex- tends over a large surface, its waters will not be forced over the precipice in a body, but will con- tinue to cover nearly the same space that they occupy at present near its mouth, and thus form a cataract of immense width. However, the torrent towards the centre of the Fall, wearing away the rock with much rapidity, will, as it progresses, gradually cut a deep and narrow channel, in the bottom of which the Niagara river will run ; while over the perpendicular cliffs that form the sides of this natural canal, the water that lies towards the shores of Lake Erie will pour, and create a vista of cataracts, perhaps a quarter of a mile long, terminated at its upper extremity by a fall of superior grandeur and beauty.
The Niagara river above the falls is three quarters of a mile broad, and its Rapids make a near approach to them in magnificence. Be- tween the head of the Rapids and the pitch, a distance of more than a mile, there h a descent of fifty-six feet. The river rushes with terrific and ungovernable impetuosity through a channel composed of rugged rocks, and is converted, by the resistance it meets with, into an expanse of
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foam, which stretches almost from shore to shore ; and, during sunshine, presents an appearance dazzling and beautiful beyond expression. On looking up the river, the descent is so percepti- ble, that the upper part of the Rapids meets the horizon; while a fierce and raging torrent, the source of which lies beyond the view, is seen to hurl its perturbed and tumultuous waters with a wildness that would almost seem to prepare them for the horrible comminution they are soon to undergo. Towards the verge of this flood, large jets of spray start up from among the bristling billows, like distant water- spouts upon a stormy ocean. For a little way above the edge of the cataract, the dense expanse of water glides si- lently along, and then suddenly disappearing, a thick and ascending cloud is seen in its place, while a loud rushing and hollow murmurs con- vey to the affrighted imagination an idea of the fearful tumult that goes on below.
I must confess, that after I had completed my first deliberate survey of the Falls and Rapids, I felt I may almost say relieved, when I got out of sight of these wonders of nature, the vastness and sublimity of which create such vivid emo- tions, that the mind is absolutely fatigued by a long survey of them. On this account, the cata- racts of Niagara form a scene with which one would not wish to become very familiar, nor to
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contemplate very frequently. The more domestic and unobtrusive features of nature are infinitely better adapted for daily observation, and afford a more quiet and unmingled kind of enjoyment, than those I have been now describing.
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LETTER VIII.
Scenery above the Falls — Curious mineral spring — Village of Chippowa — Merchants there — Mode of carrying on business — Scarcity of specie — Barter injurious to honesty — Mouth of Lake Erie — Ferry — Town of Buffalo— Lake Erie — Excur- sion along its shores — Canadian taverns — Sugar-loaf country —Frog concert — Extraordinary scene at a cottage — Banks of the lake — Wild vines — Story of an Indian woman and child — Grand river Ouse — Naval post there — Lands belong- ing to the Mohawks — Night scene upon Lake Erie — Interest- ing Indian.
A LITTLE way above the Falls, the Niagara river expands into a breadth of two miles, and flows with such a gentle current and placid smoothness, that it resembles a small lake. The American shore is covered with trees, but is un- enlivened by houses or inhabitants; while the mingled murmur of the Rapids and cataracts, and the occasional shriek of the wild- duck, are alone heard by him who contemplates the scene ; which appears the more delightful, in conse- quence of its meeting the eye of the traveller immediately after he has been stunned and as- tonished by the grandeur of the Falls. Thus, two aspects of nature, one the most terrific and tumultuous, the other the most composing and
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quiet, are to be found within the short compass of a mile, individually forming a contrast equally- agreeable and unanticipated.
Here there is a mineral spring, which issues from the ground, and emits sulphurated hydro- gen gas in great quantities. The gas is so pure, that it will take fire, and burn for some time, if a lighted candle is merely applied near the sur- face of the water. The proprietor of the spring has placed a reservoir and tube over it, that he may be the better able to exhibit the phenome- non of its inflammability to persons who visit the spot. I had no opportunity of analyzing either the gas or the water from which it is dis- engaged, or of ascertaining what effects the latter produced upon the human system.
At a little distance beyond this, and at the mouth of the river Welland, which disembogues into the Niagara, stands the village of Chippowa, containing some neat houses, and about one hun- dred and fifty inhabitants. It has the same re- lative situation as Queenston, being at the upper extremity of the portage occasioned by the Falls, and having the additional advantage of lying on the banks of a navigable stream, which affords an easy means of communication with a fertile, but partially improved tract of country. The Welland, or Chippowa, is three hundred feet broad at its mouth, and averages in depth from
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t compass ist equally
lich issues :ed hydro- is so pure, ne time, if ar the sur- the spring it, that he phenome- 1 who visit ' analyzing ;h it is dis- :s the latter
and at the isembogues Chippowa, it one hun- le same re- the upper y the Falls, of lying on lich affords th a fertile, ntry. The indred feet depth from
li
eight to twelve feet, for more than thirty miles up. Its banks are covered with excellent timber, large quantities of which are annually floated down to supply Messrs Clark and Street's saw- mill near the Falls. This river, having scarcely any current except when swelled by rains, is ad- mirably adapted for steam-boat navigation ; but many years must elapse before the trade and po- pulation of the neighbouring country will render vessels of this kind necessary.
The village of Chippowa contains a number of merchants, who supply the inhabitants of the surrounding country with goods of every descrip- tion, and receive produce in payment. All mer- cantile business throughout the Province, but particularly in the western parts, is carried on by means of barter ; circulating medium being so scarce, that it cannot be obtained in exchange for almost any thing. The causes of this defi- ciency are very obvious : Upper Canada receives the various commodities she requires from the United States, or from the Lower Province ; and she must pay money for every thing she buys from the Americans, they having a superabun- dance of flour, pork, and every kind of produce which she could give in exchange. Thus, almost all the commercial transactions that take place between Upper Canada and the United States are the means of drawing specie from the former
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■ n
country ; and this specie, of course, never returns to the inhabitants of the Province under any form whatever. Again, the retail merchants send all the money they receive to Montreal, to pay the debts they have contracted there ; or, if they do retain any in their own hands, the coun- try is not benefited, for they never put it into circulation. The only channel through which a regular influx of money took place was by the sale of flour ; but this is now stopped, as that ar- ticle has of late brought no price in Lower Ca- nada, and those persons in the Upper Province who used to buy it up, and speculate upon it, can no longer do so with profit or advantage to themselves. Formerly, the farmers received cash for their wheat, because Montreal and Quebec then afforded a ready market ; but things are now altered, and the agriculturist rarely gets money for any kind of home-produce, in consequence of its being unsaleable abroad.
Specie becomes daily more scarce, and will con- tinue to decrease in quantity, until a European war with America creates a market for the pro- duce of Upper Canada. The inhabitants are continually wishing that the Province may again become the scene of hostilities, not aware that in consequence of this the necessary influx of circu- lating medium would be as temporary as it for- merly was, and that the return of peace would
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be followed by a crisis infinitely more disastrous than any that has yet occurred in the Province. The scarcity of specie is indeed a circumstance highly injurious to the interests of the colony. The farmer is discouraged from raising grain or making agricultural improvements; mechanics and artizans cannot prosecute their labours with advantage; and the merchants are obliged to impoverish and oppress the people by exorbitant charges.
The system of barter which exists in the Pro- vince has a very injurious effect upon the cha- racter of the peasantry. It necessarily affords many opportunities of cheating to those who are inclined ; and I lament to say, that the mass of the inhabitants have more or less of this propen- sity, which they endeavour to palliate and con- ceal under the term of " taking advantage," and exercise without injury to their reputations ; for, in Upper Canada, a man is thought dishonest only when his knavery carries him beyond the bounds prescribed by the law. Various kinds of deception may be practised by the parties buy- ing and selling, when barter is the medium of exchange. A dollar, for instance, has a specific value, and cannot possibly be made to appear worth more or less than it really is ; but other exchangeable articles vary continually, as far as respects value and quality, both of which points
H
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must often be solely decided by the judgment of him who proposes to receive them in barter. The ignorant and inexperienced are thus daily exposed to the knavery and deceit of those who think there is no harm in taking advantage.
The road to the mouth of Lake Erie closely follows the windings of the Niagara river, which continues very beautiful, and increases in rapidity as you approach its source. During summer it is generally enlivened by bateaux and Durham boats, many of which are daily engaged in the conveyance of goods and military stores from Chippowa to Fort Erie. The road is bordered by farms, which are in a state of tolerable culti- vation, and chiefly belong to Dutch people, who retain unimpaired their national characteristics, by rejecting all innovations and instructions as vehemently as the Chinese.
Two miles below the mouth of Lake Erie there is a ferry, which forms the main channel of comnmnication between Upper Canada and the United States. Near it, and on the American frontier, stands the village of Buffalo, which con- tains a great many neat houses, well-furnished shops, with an active and increasing population. The villages on the American frontier, indeed, form a striking contrast with those on the Cana- dian side. There, bustle, improvement, and ani- mation, fill every street; here, dulness, decay.
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and apathy, discourage enterprise and repress exertion. It is said, that not one-tenth part of the houses in Buffalo are paid for, and that the greater number of these are already mortgaged. But of what importance are the embarrassments of a few individuals, if society in general derives advantage from the circumstances which occa- sioned them ? The Americans build houses and make improvements entirely for the benefit of posterity, as they generally engage in specula- tions so disproportioned to their means, that ruin and insolvency overtake them before they can realize what they have projected, or enjoy what they have accomplished.
Lake Erie is two hundred and forty-six miles long, and sixty broad at its widest part. The depth averages from fifteen to eighteen fathoms over its whole extent ; and, in consequence of this remarkable shallowness, it becomes rough and boisterous when the wind blows strongly from any point of the compass. At these times a very high and dangerous surf breaks upon its shores, which, in many places, resemble the beach of the sea, being strewed with dead fish and shells, and infested with aquatic birds of various kinds. Often during storms the lake is covered with such a thick mist, that it is impossible to see to the distance of ten yards from the shore. The waves then roll with terrific violence from amidst
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the cloudy obscurity^ and suggest to the ima- gination the appalling dangers which threaten those vessels that are exposed to the tempest; for the navigation of the lake is rendered highly dangerous by reefs and projecting points of land, and by the nature of the banks, which, towards its western extremity, are so bold and precipi- tous, that, when a vessel is driven upon them, shipwreck becomes almost inevitable. Scarcely a summer passes in which there is not some shipping lost on Lake Erie. South-west winds prevail much during a great part of the year, and often, for weeks together, prevent vessels from sailing westward : hence steam-boats are the craft best suited for the navigation of this inland sea.
The northern shores of Lake Erie are very indifferently provided with harbours, although they contain five ; but all these, except one, are so much exposed to the south-west winds, that few vessels can ride securely during a gale from that quarter, or unload, unless the weather is perfectly calm.
I have made several excursions along the shores of Lake Erie, to the distance of eighty mileis from its mouth. One, in which I went as far as the Grand River, was productive of seve- ral entertaining incidents, and I shall therefore give you an account of it.
It being summer, I left Fort Erie, Which is
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the itna- threaten tempest ; fd highly s of land,
towards I precipi- on them,
Scarcely not some est winds year, and sels from J the craft land sea.
are very
although t one, are inds, that gale from ireather is
ilong the of eighty I went as e of seve- therefore
which is
opposite Buffalo, at an early hour, on horseback, and proceeded along the beach of the lake, which was so smooth and beautiful, that it might have answered for a race-course ; but the country bor- dering upon it being level and thinly settled, the prospect was dull and monotonous, and the con- tinual dashing of the surges fatigued the ear.
About eight o'clock I reached a small tavern, and stopped to breakfast. Here I found an in- dependent host, who, in the true American style, answered each question I put to him by asking another, and showed such extreme curiosity about my affairs, that, I believe, nothing but the fear of violent treatment prevented him from exa- mining the contents of my portmanteau. Most of the taverns in Upper Canada are indeed a burlesque upon what they profess to be. A to- lerable meal can scarcely be procured at any one of them ; nay, I have visited several which were not even provided with bread. It is immaterial what meal the traveller calls for, as the same ar- ticles will be set before him morning, noon, and night, not even excepting tea, which is considered so essential to comfort, that if the mistress of the hotel has none of the Chinese plant, she will send one of her children into the woods to gather parts of the evergreen, hemlock, hickory, or other nauseous vegetables ; and having made an infu- sion of the herb brought in, will perhaps inquire
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of her astonished and shuddering guest, if the tea is sufficiently strong. None of the minor public-houses are provided with servants to at- tend travellers who put up at them, and there- fore, when the landlord is absent, or in an inde- pendent humour, one is obliged to unsaddle, feed, and take charge of his own horse, other- wise the animal will be totally neglected, for the women disdain to do any thing of this kind.
About twenty miles above the mouth of I^ake Erie, is a tract of country called Sugar Loaf, in consequence, I suppose, of its being diversified with numerous little conical hills. A close suc- cession of these extends several miles, and pre- sents an appearance very curious and interest- ing, but extremely difficidt to account for. The hills are of a regular shape, appearing to be, on an average, from twenty to thirty feet high, and consist altogether of sand and earth. The coun- try is thickly settled here, and there are many large cleared spots and cultivated farms to be met with ; but, notwithstanding all this, it has a very desolate and forbidding aspect. The beach is covered with huge black rocks, against which the Lake beats wilh incessant roar, and during spring and autumn thick mists often ob- scure the face of heaven for days together. Su- gar Loaf being environed by swamps, its inhabi- tants cannot have any communication with other
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parts of the country, except during a severe win- ter, or in the middle of summer. — Here, for the first time, I was gratified with an opportunity of listening to a Frog Concert, as I passed a mill- pond which swarmed with bull-frogs. The noise which these animals make is so disproportioned to their size, that it startles the ear not a little. At first, several of them utter their notes at in- tervals, like the performers in an orchestra tun- ing their instruments ; then they all join, as if by one impulse, in a chorus, deep, loud, and dis- cordant, beyond any sound I ever heard produc- ed by animals.
It was now twilight, and as the path had be- come rather indistinct, I rode towards a house, that I might make some inquiries respecting my route. Several people stood at the door ; but as they took no notice of me, I entered the hovel. It contained only one room, and in the midst of this was a bedstead, on which an old man lay, apparently in the last struggles of death. On one side of him stood a boy holding a flaming torch of hickory bark, and on the other was seated a young man, who employed himself in driving away the large blue flies that hummed around the face of the dying person, and some- times attempted to enter his mouth. I was a good deal startled with the scene, and imme- diately retired to the door. The group there (as
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I afterwards found), consisted of the wife of the old man, a sister-in-law, several relations, and a quack doctor. They were all so deeply engaged in a discussion about the nature of the patient's disease, and the time at which he was struck with death, that they seemed entirely to forget he was still alive. The sister-in-law, a sickly, thin, middle-aged woman, insisted that his com- plaint had arisen from debilitation, and gave a long account of her first husband's sickness, when she lived in Schenectady ; the others seem- ed to pay great respect to her authority, all lis- tening with undivided attention, except the wife of the dying person, who was dressing some meat upon a fire they had kindled out of doors. She held a frying-pan in one hand, and a ragged handkerchief in the other, and was sob- bing, and employing herself in cooking, alter- nately. In a short time, the young man in the house called out, " Come now — he is going;" then the whole party rushed in, and ranged themselves round the death-be 1. The hickory torch threw a dull glare upon this singular group, and exhibited, more or less distinctly, the heartless and scrutinizing countenances of those who composed it. The doctor stood at the head of the bed, and near him was the sister- in-law. On one side sat the wife, with a spoon in her hand, while some weeping boys and rela-
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ife of the ns, and a T engaged ) patient's as struck
to forget
a sickly, t his com- id gave a
sickness, lers seem- ty, all lis- Kcept the I dressing ed out of hand, and I was sob- ing, alter- lan in the going ;" id ranged e hickory
singular distinctly, (nances of
stood at the sister- h a spoon \ and rela-
tives occupied the other. The struggles of the dying person were now more feeble — ^his inspira- tions could scarcely be heard, and his cheeks as- sumed that waxy dimness which always precedes dissolution. The sister-in-law had several times attempted to close his eyes, but they more than once started open, with a glassy stare, that seem ed to chide her officiousness. However, the spirit soon fled ; and the moment this took place, most of the party rushed from the house, sobbing and crying most bitterly. Some hastened to the barn, others to the fields, and some to a shed at a little distance ; but three men remained in the house, and began to lay out the corpse. While engaged in this, they frequently had recourse to a bottle of spirits, which each by turns rais- ed to his head, and having drank liberally, handed it to his nearest companion. When the body was properly laid out, tlie women came in, and put a Bible under its iiead and a plate of salt upon the breast. These ceremonies be- ing finished, I mounted my horse and hastily pOrsued my solitary journey, which the impres- sions left by the scene I had just witnessed ren- dered doubly unpleasant and gloomy.
I spent the night at the house of a miller, and at an early hour next morning again mounted my horoe. The banks of the lake now became very bold and elevated, sometimes rising to the height
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of one hundred feet perpendicular and upwards. They consist entirely of clay and sand ; and hav- ing been broken and excavated, in a thousand different ways, by the inroads of the lake, present a very singular and alarming aspect. In some places large bodies of clay projected twenty or thirty feet beyond the main bank, and overhung the beach ; while in others, lofty trees, from the roots of which the soil had been washed away, were suspended on the summit by a few fibres, and seemed ready to be precipitated from it, to hurl destruction upon all below. Wild vines of immense magnitude grow upon the tops of these banks, which twine round the stems of large trees, and kill them, apparently by stopping the circulation, as the boa constrictor does when he destroys a deer. When one of these vines is re- moved from the tree it has encircled, deep spiral convolutions will be found in the trunk, which proves that the vine overcomes the resistance offered by the natural growth of the tree.
When tempests happen upon Lake Erie, its waters sometimes suddenly rise to the foot of these pei'pendicular sand-banks, and beat against them with such dreadful vehemence as entirely to cover the beach. Persons travelling upon it during storms have sometimes perished in the waves, being unable to escape their fury ; for the lake often rises with such rapidity, that one has
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upwards, and hay. thousand ?, present
In some wenty or overhung
from the led away, ew fibres,
from it, /"ild vines le tops of IS of large pping the
when he ines is re- eep spiral ik, which resistance ee.
Erie, its le foot of lat against IS entirely g upon it ed in the y ; for the at one has
no chance of gaining a place of safety before he is overwhelmed by the flood. At these times, the bateaux which coast along are so liable to be driven upon a lee-shore, and beaten to pieces, that those who are on board often abandon their ves- sels and cargo, and try to save themselves. r, >■ A person who resides upon the shore of Lake Erie related to me a very affecting incident which occurred there many years ago. An Indian wo- man, and her child, who was about seven years old, were travelling along the beach to a camp a ^ow miles distant. The boy observed some wild ^lapes growing upcr the top of the bank, and expressed such a strong desire to obtain them, that his mother, seeing a ravine at a little dis- tance, by which she thought she could gain the edge of the precipice, resolved to gratify him. Having desired him to remain where he was, she ascended the steep, and was allured much farther into the woods than she at first intended. In the meantime, the wind began to blow vehe- mently mit the boy wandered carelessly along the I',; < ^, i;eeking for shells, till the rapid rise of the iH f r >dered it impossible for him to re- turn to il :^^ pot where he had been left by his mother. He immediately began to cry aloud, and she, being r>n her return, heard him, but in- stead of descending the ravire, hastened to the edge of the precipice, from the boitom of which
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the noise seemed to proceed. On looking down, she beheld her son struggling with the waves, and vainly endeavouring to climb up the bank, which was fifty feet perpendicular height, and very slippery. There being no possibility of ren- dering him assistance, she was on the point of throwing herself down the steep, when she saw him catch hold of a tree that had fallen into the lake, and mount one of its most projecting branches. T^ sat astride upon this, almost be^ yond the reat. the surges, while she continued watching him m an agony of grief, hesitating whether she should endeavour to find her way to the camp and procure assistance, or remain near her boy. However, evening was now about to close, and as she could not proceed through the woods in the dark, she resolved at least to wait till the moon rose. She sat on the top of the precipice a whole hour, and, during that time, occasionally ascertained that her son was alive, by hearing his cries amidst the roaring of the waves ; but when the moon appeared, he was not to be seen. She now felt convinced that he was drowned, and, giving way to utter despair, threw herself on the turf. Presently she heard a feeble voice cry (in Indian), " Mamma, I'm here, come and help me." She started up, and saw her boy scrambling upon the edge of the bank — she sprang forward to catch his hand, but
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ing down^ he waves, the bank, jight, and ity of ren- B point of n she saw n into the projecting Imost be* continued hesitating I her way or remain low about i through it least to ;he top of iring that r son was roaring of 3d, he was 3d that he ;r despair, she heard nma, I'm i up, and [ge of the hand, but
the ground by which he held giving Way, he was precipitated into the lake, and perished among the rushing billows.
Having travelled twelve miles, without seeing a house, or meeting with any human being, I arrived at the mouth of the Grand River Ouse. A naval and a military post tend a little to enliven this place, which would otherwise be desolate enough, the country around being almost