i TABLE OF CONTENTS, CHAPTER I. PAGE. Introduction ....................... -------------------- ---------- Importance of well-authenticated and recent Information respecting the Country in which the Emigrant intends to settle–Various Routes to British North America —The City of New York—The City of Quebec— River St. Lawrence—City of Montreal—“Rapids” —Scenery, “Thousand Islands"—Kingston in Upper Canada–Lake Ontario—Ports called at by the Royal Mail Steam Boats—Poor Man's passage—Cautions— Provisions for Voyage—Emigrants' Arrival at Quebec —Cheapest Way to Toronto .............................. CHAPTER II. City of Toronto—Public Buildings—Markets—Inhabi- tants of the Province—Indian Tribes—Character of Aborigines—Their Peculiar Districts—The Colonists —State of the Learned Professions—Medical Board— Law Institute—Education: University of King's College—Upper Canada College–Common Schools— District Grammar Schools–Stipend of Masters ...... CHAPTER III. Climate of Upper Canada preferred to that of the Lower Province—Popular Errors—Extremes of Heat and Cold—Climate Remarkably Dry–Winter Months— Seasons of Pleasure—Sleighing—Agricultural Opera- tions Suspended–Care of Stock—Rapidity of Vege- tation-Wild Sports-Scarcity of Game-Flocks of 6 34 vi INTRODUCTION, majority of works treating upon Canada the information is out of date, or in such an ex- pensive form as to be beyond the reach of those for whose benefit they should be com- piled. To remedy both evils, he has proposed to himself the condensation of facts rather than the exposition of theories, laying aside all moral and religious questions, not because he deems them unimportant, but as he con- siders them out of place. The several statements contained in this work have been drawn more from personal observation than from the sources of infor- mation too frequently applied to, and which are at all times doubtful and generally de- ceptive. The author was a silent observer of men and things; and, from the fact of his parish being bounded by the lake Ontario on the south, and extending for some miles through a richly cultivated country on the north, he had an opportunity of seeing the INTRODUCTION, vii emigrant upon his arrival, following him to his lonely hut in the dark deep forest, watch- ing over his daily improvements, and finally congratulating him upon his complete and increasing success; and not only was the course of agricultural pursuits laid before his constant observation, but his residence, being in the vicinity of a village, afforded an opportunity of knowing something of the system upon which the business of the colony is conducted. The fact of the author having passed by the Lower Province of Canada, without re- commending it to the notice of the emigrant, demands explanation. He has no antipathy, either to the climate or inhabitants, of this section of the colony; but from information gained some years since from good authorities, and confirmed by recent personal observation, he feels fully persuaded that it is not the coun- try suited to the vast majority of our settlers, ** INTRODUCTION. 1X The remedies proposed have been various and liberal; but, in the judgment of the wri- ter, they have been wanting in one essential— in legislating for the present moment they have made no provision against a recurrence of the evil. He grants that the first step must be to save the dying; but he conceives that a “House of Recovery” is as essential as a “Refuge for the Diseased.” Ireland may be raised from her low estate; but her chil- dren, weakened as they must be by want, will require a new and more abundant clime, and to that country the pages of this volume point. Canada is our own—her laws, language, trade, commerce, and landed possessions, are the property of our own people, and exist be- neath the protection of our own Sovereign. Why not make it more like home, by its speedy and general colonization ? The truth is, that the pressure upon the B 2 INTRODUCTION. xi posely avoided entering into the details of any plan of “General Emigration” to Canada: he deems it sufficient to record the conviction of his judgment, that a system the most ex- tensive would prove most beneficial to those for whom our sympathies and aid are alike enlisted. In the passing glance which he has bestowed upon the inhabitants of the United States, it may appear to some of his readers that lan- guage has been employed by him embodying in it aspirit inconsistent with the maintenance of those friendly relations which, in the words of Royalty, “we continue to hold with foreign powers.” All that can be said in reply is, that he has written more in pity than in anger, and with the hope that a class so nearly allied to ourselves may be led to shun the unenviable path which from boasting leads to insult. While the author would not court a critic's gaze, he feels emboldened, from T------------------ CHAPTER I. Importance of well-authenticated and recent Information respecting the Country in which the Emigrant intends to settle–Various routes to British North America—The city of New York—The city of Quebec—River St. Law- rence—City of Montreal—The “Rapids”—Scenery— Thousand Islands–Kingston in Upper Canada—Lake Ontario–Ports called at by the Royal Mail Steam Boats— Poor Man's passage–Cautions—Provisions for Voyage— Emigrants arrival at Quebec-Cheapest way to Toronto. Few things are more natural, and none more necessary, upon the part of the emigrant, than a desire to understand correctly the peculiarities of the country to which his destiny points. Should he proceed in the dark, or be decoyed by false lights, it requires no extraordinary amount of human sagacity to predict his disappointment and the destruction of his hopes. Upon leaving this country the author had no vivid or romantic conceptions of the colony of Canada; nor had he the slightest prospect of ac- quiring—what too many falsely calculate upon— 16 OR DINARY ROUTES TO CANADA. solves upon following the fortunes of his profes- sion in a country where there are fewer compe- titors for its honors or sharers of its emoluments; but it is perfectly plain that one and all are actuated by the same laudable ambition to im- prove their circumstances. As this guide is designed to treat of purely se- cular subjects its pages will be found to contain words of counsel to each of the classes glanced at. There are two ordinary routes taken by emi- grants to our North American possessions— the one vid New York, Halifax, or Boston; the other through the Gulf and River St. Law- rence, and thence (should the passenger's taste or interest lead him to the West) direct to Toronto, which may be designated the capital of Upper Canada. In his own case the writer proceeded outward by New York, and homeward by way of Quebec; so that he has gained a practical knowledge of both voyages. Those who wish for comfort, and who prefer the economy of time to that of money, he would recommend to visit New York or Boston. The former is a city truly worthy of notice—its splen- did bay, its fairy scenery, and its majestic rivers, are all objects of interest, and tend, in no small degree, to furnish an antidote to the unpleasant- DESCRIPTION OF QUEBEC. 17 ness of a passage, although sometimes short, at all times monotonous. Nothing is wanting in the excellent trans- Atlantic steam vessels to secure the comfort and safety of passengers; and, although the regular “Liners” or sailing packets possess far less speed, and consequently much greater uncertainty as to the period of their arrival, yet, as it regards their arrangement, nothing can be more complete. The fares as to money are much lower; while the fare as to provision is fully as good as that on board of our Royal Mail Steamers. But, as it has been already stated, our finances must (if prudence be consulted) ever rule the route to be taken. Many respectable families, however, prefer the more direct way, vid Quebec; and without doubt, as far as scenery is concerned, we are at a loss to say which is most to be admired. The banks of the noble St. Lawrence are richly wooded, and although the villages and clearings are neither as numerous nor as good as those on the Hudson yet they are not without interest; whilst the cities of Quebec and Montreal have no com- petitors between New York and Toronto. Quebec is perhaps one of our best fortified colonial possessions: nature and art have com- C 20 The RAPIDS, an hour, whilst that of the steamer is ten, giving twenty-six miles an hour as the rate at which you proceed: yet such is the perfection attained by practice, and the consummate skill of the river pilots, that an accident at a rapid is seldom heard of. Formerly the canal boats alone ventured to pursue the unchecked course of the river: but during the past summer the Royal Mail Steamers have “run all the rapids,” and, from their great success, the public mind appears to be at rest on the subject of risk or danger. For some miles before you enter the excellent harbour of Kingston the vessel appears as if lost amidst the “Thousand Islands”—a name, no doubt, selected at random; for, were they enume- rated, the probability is that they would number two-fold more than their title leads you to sup pose. The “ Islands” are small, and few of them inhabited; but the foliage of the trees planted upon them by the hand of nature is most luxu- riant and beautiful. The channels through which you pass in navigating this portion of the river are so narrow that, in many instances, you could almost step from the vessel upon the shore. Kingston as a city, although by no means ex- tensive, is not destitute of interest to the stranger. The public buildings and houses are in general 22 THE Poor MAN's PASSAGE wiá QUEBEC. domestics, who are paid so highly as those of Canada, should be quite above soliciting the paltry perquisites usually pertaining to their office in these countries. It becomes necessary to devote a page or two to our more humble readers, who may wish infor- mation as to the plans to be pursued by them. We cannot, in any case, recommend to those who may be straitened in their circumstances, the passage to New York; for, although tra- velling in the United States is undoubtedly cheap, yet the distance is so great, and the changing from boat to boat or from carriage to carriage so frequent, that the expence becomes a matter of grave consideration. Many of the best of our British ships are constantly sailing from every port of note in the three kingdoms, either for Quebec or Montreal. Some emigrants are in- duced to embark in the “first ships, " expect- ing, as a consequence, that those which sail first, must arrive first; but this is far from being the case. It is true that they may reach the St. Lawrence before many others which leave at a later period; but the probability is that they may be detained by, or damaged in the ice—the risk is much greater than the probable advantage of an early arrival—and it is therefore recommended AMERICAN MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 29 their abode at some boarding-house or tavern and there remain for years, or for the remainder of their lives, without any place worthy the name of, or bearing the most faint resemblance to home. It may be worth noticing that ser- vants in no case expect gratuities, and every re- spectable hotel-keeper will drive any one to the steam boat or stage-office free of charge. The “Lions” of the city are by no means nu- merous, yet they are certainly worthy of notice. The visitor will find Trinity Church, the new Custom-house, and the Exchange, exceedingly chaste and modern buildings; whilst, for extent of street-way, “Broadway” (which is certainly a contradiction of the term) is truly astonishing. The manners and habits of the American citizens cannot fail to impress the mind of a British sub- ject most unfavourably, both as to the form of their government and the social condition of the people. It may be regarded as a national mis- fortune that, amongst all classes, the spirit of exaggeration and repudiation prevails to a fearful extent. Their boasting is at all times fulsome, and their opinion of England is alike insulting and unjust. This is cursorily mentioned more as a matter of regret than astonishment; for light is not more opposed to darkness than the well- D THE FALLS-BEST VIEW-GUIDES, 33 be obtained from the British side of the river. From the Table Rock the whole body of water may be seen as it rushes with awful fury in one mighty volume over the impending precipice into the yawning chasm beneath. A very excel- lent view may also be obtained from the Clifton- house, which is a splendid hotel built upon the Table Rock. There are several ferry boats which are constantly crossing to the American side of the river; and, should time permit, it is recommended to the traveller to visit the new and rapidly improving town which was formerly called Manchester, but within the last few months has been styled “Niagara Falls.” There are guides and guide-books almost innumerable on both sides of the river, and to those who wish to “go under the fall” one of the former is abso- lutely requisite. From Niagara one is certain to meet with either one or two steamers to Toronto every day; and, as it is not more than five or six hours' run across the lake, the visitor will in all probability enjoy the delightful calm of that vast expanse of water. p 2 36 PRICES OF PROVISIONS=ABORIGINES, following is a fair average for four years—beef, 2}d. to 3}d. per lb.; pork, mutton, and ham, 3d. to 4d.; beef per cwt. from 12s, to 16s. ; pork per cwt. from 14s. to 18s ; wheat from 8s. 6d. to 4s. per bushel of 60 lbs.; flour from 16s. to 20s. per barrel of 196 lbs. ; potatoes ls. to 1s. 6d. per bushel; oats 1s. to 1s. 8d. per bushel; hay 24s. to 32s. per ton. Poultry is generally both abun- dant and cheap; eggs and fish in their seasons are also extremely reasonable—in fact, one of the most pleasing features of Canada consists in the cheapness and plenty of provisions. The aborigines of Canada still maintain a very important position in the colony. The Indian tribes will be found, by the kind and humane settler, not only good neighbours but faithful friends. Nobody of men have been more brutally treated in times past, and certainly none have excelled them in the patience with which they have endured the ignominy. The impress of the stranger's foot upon their virgin soil has been the signal for their dispersion; and, when they have remonstrated with the encroacher, the most unprincipled and immoral means have been resorted to for the purpose of acquiring some- thing like a legal claim upon the spot coveted: so that, in many instances, the poor child of the LEARNED PROFESSIONS. 39 George, St. Patrick, and St. Andrew, may be looked upon as having been mainly instrumental in producing unity of spirit and charity of pur- pose among the colonists. The learned professions are making rapid strides in influence and usefulness. Medical men are eagerly sought for in all new settlements; but it should be borne in mind that they have to submit to a rigid examination by the Medical Board in Toronto, and subsequently licensed by the Governor-General, before they are permitted to practice. This precaution becomes absolutely necesssary, in consequence of the proximity of Canada to a land where so many ignorant men enter professions of which they know but little, merely because they offer greater inducements to the slothful and ignorant than to the active and industrious. The Law Institute holds, it is believed, a royal charter, and it is also necessary that the legal practitioner should receive permission to plead in the Canadian courts of law : emigration from the ranks of this respectable profession cannot be re- commended, as there are so many youthful aspi- rants to distinction springing from the families of the earlier settlers—to such a degree, indeed, that it may almost be said the profession in Canada is overstocked, 40 UNIversITY—UPPER CANADA college. As it regards the state of education, the Upper Province possesses the germ of a most creditable university. Talent and experience are both combined and enlisted in its management, and its foundation is most Catholic in its character, for its honours and emoluments are thrown open to all religious denominations. There is also an institution of great merit in Toronto designated the “Upper Canada College"—a training school for the university; it is mainly supported by a grant from Government, and, like the former, is based upon the most liberal principles. As to the lower order of what are termed “Public Schools,” nothing favourable to the scholars or teachers can he said. Until of late the local trustees, persons chosen by the school tax-payers, were the sole patrons of those educational esta- blishments; and, as very many of them had been removed far from the advantages of educa- tion themselves, it was not to be supposed that they could be suitable judges of the qualifications of candidates for the office of schoolmaster. The improved plan is to appoint district inspectors, who grant certificates to the examined and ap- proved; yet the power of appointment still rests with the local board. A school-rate is levied in- discriminately upon all the inhabitants of the dis- trict, and from this source the master derives the 50 CANADIAN LUXURIES. prolific, the natives and settlers in Canada make vast quantities of preserves, and this will suffi- ciently account for the fact that, in the poorest houses and worst inns in the country the visitor is sure to meet with sweet-meats of all kinds. They generally make four meals per diem ; and at every meal they introduce preserves in some one shape or other. So general is the rage for such things, and so great the abundance of fruit, that some of the poorest people apply and obtain leave from the more respectable inhabitants to enter their gardens and gather currants for manu- facturing preserves. To the uninitiated reader this may appear very gross extravagance; but it is to be remembered that the greater part of such delicacies are formed from the maple sugar. This is obtained in the following manner:—Early in spring, when the sap begins to flow, the people go into the woods and tap the maple tree. The weather must be cold enough to freeze at night, so that the wound may be healed and warm enough in the day-time to cause the renewal of the effusion: thus, having placed their troughs under each tree having a tap, they empty the contents which have run during the day into large boilers, and reduce them to molasses during the night; it is made exactly as our foreign sugars INCREASING VALUE OF LAND. 55 of seven or nine years, subject only to the con- dition of making certain improvements in the way of clearing and cultivating reproductive lands. There a man may obtain a good farm, having some forty acres well cleared with a com- fortable dwelling house, barn, stables, and out- offices, for an annual rent of from sixteen to twenty pounds, subject as before stated to the condition that he is to clear and cultivate a certain number of additional acres before the expiration of his lease; and, as it would increase his income to get as much land under crop as possible and with little delay, he sets to work, not only to till the cleared but to prepare the uncleared land. Steady and active men realize their most sanguine expectations, even under more apparently disadvantageous cir- cumstances than those just named. It is quite a common thing for land well cleared and in a good state of cultivation, with all the stumps re- moved, to produce a yearly rental of 8s, per acre, and yet the tenant, in some cases, becomes the purchaser of the property by the profits of the undertaking. Few things are more difficult to obtain than correct information as to the real value of land; but nothing is more certain than that landed DRAINAGE. 57 pond is covered with solid ice. Many unprin- cipled persons are ready to assert that their farms possess never-failing springs, and ever-flowing creeks; but experience has proved that very little faith is to be placed in such representations, unless they can be verified by persons who have known the farms for some years before; for, as has been already noticed, the seasons are so uncertain in the colony that, during a mild or open winter, the streams may be what they are represented, whilst under other circumstances the reverse may be the case. Drainage is a branch of agriculture little under- stood and less practised in our new colony; and yet it may be safely stated that the natural capabilities of the land to undergo this important operation must influence in no small degree its value. In many instances the soil may appear upon the surface exceedingly rich and luxuriant; but, from want of a fall, it may in reality be worth little. Again : the timber has a great deal of influence in regulating the importance of the property : where pine predominates the soil is generally of a light sandy character, not productive, and exceedingly difficult to clear. The pine stumps bid defiance to all art in effect- ing their eradication; for they are deeply and F 2 58 PINE FARMS OBJECTIONABLE, widely embedded in the ground. As to their decaying, two generations or sixty years must pass before they begin to fail: not so with what is called “hard wood,” such as beech, hickory, maple, birch, oak, &c. In nine years after the trees have been felled, their stumps may be drawn out by a yoke of oxen, and burned off the ground without trouble or delay. Whilst justly repro- bating the -choice of what is generally termed a “pine farm,” the settler is not to infer that all land bearing pine must of necessity be bad, or that the wood itself is useless: so far from this being the case, a certain proportion of pine is, perhaps, one of the best recommendations pro- perty can possess, more especially should the farm be situated in the vicinity of a saw-mill; for, besides the fact that timber of this kind is readily purchased by the merchants, there is the importance of his being master of that upon which he depends for the erection and repairs of his dwelling-house and offices, and the rail-timber required for his fences. In cautioning the inex- perienced settler against purchasing or renting such land, the object is to save him from that disappointment which many others bitterly expe- rience; for, unless he is prepared to devote his whole time and capital to the sawing of timber, AVERAGE CROPS IN 1846. 63 “Brantford.—Wheat is very much rusted and badly shrunk; it will not exceed an average of twelve bushels per acre. Barley, oats, and peas, are an average crop. Potato crop injured on the average three-fourths; in some places lost: the common white varieties suffered least, and some of them are quite exempt; pink eyes are most injured, and this is attributed to their contain- ing the greatest amount of farinaceous matter; disease more general and destructive than in 1845. “Woodstock- Wheat grown on oak plains very indifferent ; on heavy timbered lands, gene- rally good. The loss by the rot in the potatoes has been very great and more still is appre- hended; the loss by this disease will be greater than in 1845. “NIAGARA District.—Chippewa.-Average yield of wheat fifteen bushels per acre, inferior in quality; oats and barley a fair and average crop. Indian corn very good, but not much grown. Potatoes have not been much cultivated this season; disease greater than in 1845. “West ERN District.—Windsor and Sarnia. —Average yield of wheat about fifteen bushels per acre, inferior in quality. Indian corn twenty- five bushels per acre ; oats above the average SYSTEM OF PAYING SERVANTS. 67 such goods are offered to them as payment for their services. The proprietor who employs is under an obligation equally imperative to settle his account with the obliging merchant, and very often it happens that, finding himself unable to meet his debts, he suffers his property to pass into the books of one who, having acted the part of agent, now rejoices in the prospect of becom- ing possessor of the estate. But this, although the general mode of making payment, is not the only one: the credit system has entered so effectually into every species of traffic that it is no unusual occurrence that a master discharges a servant with a promissory note drawn for a period of six or nine months Now, whilst such practices are pursued, it is not to be wondered at if the poorer classes demand wages large enough to meet the inevitable loss resulting from the mode in which they are paid. A good farm-servant readily meets with an engagement at from 21. to 21. 10s. per month, besides his board, lodging, and washing; whilst a daily labourer can at all times earn from 2s. 6d. to 3s. per diem. Female servants in cities and large towns receive 24s. to 30s. per month; but, in the country their wages seldom exceed from 16s. to 18s. for the same period. 68 MECHANICs' wages. Mechanics' wages are exceedingly high in all parts of the province. A carpenter or joiner charges 6s. per diem, and all other trades follow about the same rate. Those who commence business on their own account in a new settle- ment generally realize a comparative indepen- dence in a few years, the exceptions being men of indolent or intemperate habits. This fact will appear more evident when it is remembered at what a low rate provisions are to be obtained, and what a constant demand a country so new as Canada must create for all kinds of handicraft. It is from the knowledge of such truths, and the evidence of innumerable cases which have come within the range of the author's observation, that he is confident in the correctness of the assertion that Canada is emphatically “the poor man's country.” In this respect there are few places to equal it—certainly none to excel it. Although a vast portion of the landed pro- perty of Canada has passed into the hands of suc- cessful speculators, so that there is not by any means the same facility for purchasing property now that the colony presented some twenty or thirty years since; yet, viewing it in comparison with home, or indeed with any other portion of our British North American territory, there are 72 RESPECTABLE EMIGRANTS REQUIRED. ever occur to deprive the country of the services of those who may well be termed her best and highest ornaments, their removal would be the withdrawal of the leaven of loyalty, and the signal for a revolt more extensive and fearful than those who remain at a distance from the scene can imagine. The emigration of agricultural operatives may not be placed first in the scale of importance; but, under the existing state of affairs, they ought to remove first in the order of time. Few things would indicate more strongly the sound discretion of Parliament, and nothing would strengthen more effectually the hands of our colonial subjects, than the adoption of a general and well-organised system of extensive emigra- tion—such emigration to be confined to good artizans and able-bodied labourers. The starv- ing millions in the sister country could readily supply both classes. Want, they would not, in a country such as Canada; and succeed they must, if the Government would only assist them during the infantile stages of their new Career. There are three methods of obtaining land in the Upper Province of Canada—first, by appli- cation at the Government Land Office; secondly 74 CANADA COMPANY. a farm of one hundred acres, forty of which are cleared. We can imagine him destitute of the means of making an immediate purchase; but he calls at the Canada Company's Office, and there represents his case: if he can produce letters of character or references to persons of standing in the colony, it will, of course, be so much more in his favour; but the author believes the Company will treat with perfect strangers. The applicant is given a list of unoccupied farms in various parts of the province; and, at the same time, all possible information as to the locality and nature of the land is tendered to him. The Company offer a certain block of wild land, or a farm of partially cleared land, for so much per acre; and knowing that he is not prepared to make a full payment of the amount, the emigrant is told that the Company will give him a lease for ten years, and that the annual rent shall be little more than the interest (six per cent.) of the unpaid purchase money. Thus, should the farm be sold for ten shillings per acre, the whole amount of his liabilities would be, for one hundred acres, 50l. ; whilst the rent or interest would only come to 31, per annum. Nor must it be forgotten that the tenant retains his right to purchase, and obtain his title deed, at any time before the expiration of his CANADA COMPANY 75 lease. It must occur to any person, of ordi- nary capacity, that such advantages are exactly suited to the man of small means, or, indeed, to a man without means, save a powerful hand and willing mind. The author cannot too strongly impress upon the attention of emigrants the value of this highly influential Company's offers. Upon the other hand, it is equally desirable that men of capital should avail themselves of the oppor- tunities offered by the Company for safe and re- productive investments. There are but few townships in which it has not property to dispose of; so that it is in a position to treat with pur- chasers to almost any amount. Some idea may be formed of the extent of its territory from the fact of eight hundred thousand acres of land being now offered for sale in one section of the country alone—that of the “Huron tract.” It may be deemed necessary by others, and it is felt requisite by the author, that he should re- iterate what has been before stated—namely, that he is a disinterested witness, not only of the value of Canada in general, but of the Canada Com- pany in particular. The writer is unknown to any of its officers, nor has he the slightest interest to serve either directly or indirectly by its pros- perity. During his residence in Canada, he was 78 COST OF A GOOD FARM. of one hundred acres, good in quality, within four miles of a market, on a good road and having a frame house and barn, with a clearing of from fifty to sixty acres, ought to be purchased for from 31. 10s. to 4!. per acre. It is far from being an advantage in making a purchase of a small quan- tity of land to have too much of it cleared. The emigrant must remember that he will have to depend for years to come upon the wood of his property for his firing; and, therefore, a farm entirely cleared, or with more than two-thirds of it free from timber, is not on any account desi- rable. Sixty acres of well cleared land will be ample both for pasture and crop, and each year's chopping will add to the arable portion of it with as much rapidity as his resources for culti- vating it will warrant. The data for this esti- mate has been taken from one of the leading roads in the Home and Gore Districts, within twenty miles of Toronto: in the more remote or westerly sections of the province, farms may be purchased at a much lower rate; but it must be remembered that the price of produce is pro. portionally smaller. For some few years past the tide of emigration has evidently set in towards the Huron tract. The Canada Company state that “the Huron 80 THE HURON TRACT. man's heart will be gladdened in his declin- ing years by beholding his children rise in the scale of comfort to a ponit far beyond their most sanguine expectation when in “the old country.” CHAPTER WI. Native Manufactories—Furniture—Bees—Geological Capa- bilities of the Country–The Political Government of the Colony—Diseases Incident to the Climate, &c. ONE of the most evident symptoms in the ad- vancement of any colony is the expenditure of a large portion of its capital in the establishment of manufactories, either for supplying the home or foreign market. It would be unreasonable to suppose that a country so youthful as Canada could compete with its republican neighbour in the number or efficiency of its factories; and yet, in proportion, our possessions in the western world have made equally rapid strides in the advancement of science and art. Canada can boast of flour-mills not to be excelled either at home or abroad. Her foundries are becoming every year more nume- rous and successful; whilst the demand for native woollen fabrics has advanced far beyond the most sanguine expectations of those who, but a few years * tremblingly embarked in such novel H 82 AGRICULTURAL IMPROVEMENTS. pursuits. Great improvements have also taken place in the manufacturing of agricultural imple- ments. The emigrant has no longer to encumber himself with those unwieldly and expensive in- struments of industry ; for, upon his arrival in Canada, he will be astonished at the perfect adap- tation of ploughs, harrows, scythes, cradles,” thrashing machines, &c., to the wants as well as to the circumstances of the settler. Every article of household furniture, from the most common to the most costly, is also made in the cities, towns, and villages in the province, and as the black walnut is a native of the Canadian woods, it is not only easily procured but much more reasonable in price than the coarsest des- criptions of mahogany. It is not a little astonish- ing that this timber, possessing as it does such excellent qualities, and growing so abundantly in our own colony, has not been more generally introduced into the mother country. Amongst the early settlers in our remote pos- sessions, a kind and fraternal feeling was forced upon them by the similarity of their circumstan- * This now generally used implement is formed by a scythe being affixed to a cradle, or a number of wooden prongs, upon which the wheat falls; so that it is literally * down with as much rapidity as grass is converted into ay. 88 CAUSES OF DISEASE, covery of any specific for this trying complaint; but it is clearly within his design to suggest cer- tain precautions as to the locality chosen for a residence. It may be laid down as a general rule that fetid water, which contains a large quantity of decomposed vegetable matter, produces fever and ague. When the sun becomes warm enough to cause fermentation in this mass of increasing cor- ruption, the vapour which arises spreads disease throughout the neighbourhood. It is remarkable that, at this season of the year, the wind blows with almost the regularity of the “Trade winds" from one point; and it therefore becomes neces- sary to settle (to use a nautical phrase) to the “windward” of this infected current of air. It is perfectly astonishing what good may result from a change of residence, where the patient has been suffering from ague. A medical friend in Canada made mention to the author of a family in which every member was afflicted with this disease, and that in its worst form. Having administered the usual remedy without success, he advised their removal to the other side of the small creek or river, on the banks of which they were living: they followed his instructions and their cure was both rapid and complete, Even CHAPTER VII. Instruction to Emigrants—Advice to Men of Property—To Persons of Smaller Means—Impropriety of Taking out Servants—Advice in Purchasing Stock—How to Build a House–Canadian Gardens. It is a very great mistake to suppose that the state of society in Canada has not kept pace with its physical improvements. The learned professions at home have contributed their quota, in no small degree, to improve both the public institutions and private circles of the colony; whilst many naval and military men from the mother country, who have taken farms and are now the large landed proprietors of the colony, have changed the manners and refined the cus- toms of the province. The author has met with gentlemen from home who have not scrupled to express their utter amazement at the greatly ad- vanced state of polite accomplishments—a state which would have graced a country older in its origin, and with a closer approximation to its parent. On the augmentation of this array 102 | MECHANICs' wagEs. from duty, for they pass through the custom- house as personal luggage. Much of what has been said will be applica- ble to that class of emigrants known as mechanics. The rates of wages to journeymen are high ; but the charges of the masters are proportionately great. This to a great extent arises from the system previously explained, and upon which business is conducted. Men are frequently in the country paid by orders upon store-keepers, or actual produce from the farmers ; and the long credit expected in the case of the masters or con- tractors require their profits to be correspondingly high. It is wise, therefore, to be prepared for such a state of things, and not to be discouraged be- cause the wages agreed for have not been paid with the same promptitude or in the same satis- factory manner as we are accustomed to at home. Suppose the case of a large family, the sons and daughters of an industrious mechanic, emigrating to Upper Canada, these are advised not to settle in an old and well-established district, but to go to some new locality where their services would be, in the nature of things, required. Boys and girls above fourteen or fifteen years of age find no difficulty in obtaining employment LABOURERS AND FARMERS. 105 poor man was enabled to purchase a superior lot. of ground in the far west, where he is now doing remarkably well. The author happened to meet with two others of the number at that time sent out : the one was a young man of moderate education, who was then the master of a common school, by which he realised from 60l. to 70l. per annum; and the other was a comfort- able and respectable farmer. In fact, the history of the majority of the independent landowners of the province may be traced to great want in the first instance, and equal subsequent success; and it is much to be desired that multitudes could be induced to follow their example; for, from what he has witnessed, the author has no doubt about the realizing of their expectations. As to the rate of wages it has already been explained that it is unwise for inexperienced labourers to demand equal remuneration for their time with those who have been long accustomed to Canadian farming; and the author would strongly impress upon the newly-arrived emigrant the importance of being willing to commence at a lower rate of wages than others, with not a pros- pect, but a certainty, of an advance inprocess of time. He would likewise urge upon emigrants the absolute necessity of cultivating strictly INTEMPERANCE, 107 rance society, he invariably followed the practice of the most rigid advocates for cold water and that with the happiest results. In a country where tea and coffee are so cheap, there is, or ought to be, every inducement to give a prefer- ence to beverages destitute of injurious properties and of some advantage in a moral point of view. The author is aware that it will require more than an ordinary amount of firmness and resolution to lay aside the practice in a country such as Canada; but the evils of the habit have only to be known, and, with the blessing of the Almighty, they not only may, but will be avoided. Provident habits stand in close relationship with those of temperance. The novelties of the country have tempted persons of limited means to exceed the bounds of prudence; and, as a remedy to this evil, and an encouragement to the contrary course, a large number of saving banks have been opened throughout the colony, one by the Upper Canada Company, specially adapted to the wants of their tenants, but open to all inhabitants. By saving a few pounds occasionally great good has resulted not only to the settler himself, but to those of his friends who may have remained be- hind. A remittance may be made with facility; for the Canada Company give letters of credit to any part of the United Kingdon at an exceedingly small per centage. 108 CONCLUSION. In drawing this little work to a close its author desires to explain to the reader that there are many matters upon which he has not, because he cannot, treat. The Canadian system of domestic economy is a subject upon which the stranger must be experimentally informed, and in the midst of which he must live, before he can realize its manifest advantages. There are also many expedients resorted to by the natives and older settlers, which the novice will do well to observe. It is a great mistake to suppose that the practices of home will do to graft upon the tender sapling of a colony. Better far for the emigrant to embody in his own plans the well-tried schemes which have been forced upon the inhabitants by the best of all instructors —necessity. Finally, the author can with the utmost truth affirm that the Canadians, as a body, are not only willing to impart the benefits of their experience to the stranger, but ever ready to assist him in his difficulties and early struggles. ** W. E. Parsisa, Printer, 342, Strand, - - - - -- -------： ... • ··|- |-· · |-|-· |- |- * ,|- |- ·|- |- |- -, |-·|- · ·* ，|- …»· * . ::*|- |-|-- -- * -|-|- - · |-|-·- - - - |- -|- * - THE BORROWER WILL BE CHARGED ANOVERDUE FEE IF THIS BOOK IS NOT RETURNED TO THE LIBRARY ON OR BEFORE THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW. NON-RECEIPT OF OVERDUE NOTICES DOES NOT EXEMPT THE BORROWER FROM OVERDUE FEES. - - - . - -- - --- -|- - -|- -- . |- -------· -- --- - -- - - |---|| -- - . -- - - ---- - ----- - - -- - - - - --- - - |- - - - |- ------ --- - - --- - （ ） - - - - -