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10.

LIFE IN CANADA.

'1.- :>i. \:'> i

/ /

On Tlmrsdny evening, February ;5ril, 1887, a very interesting lecture, on "Life in
CanucUi." was delivered in the large Assembly Rooms, Kenihvorth, Wanvickshire,
by Mr. A. J. McMillan, of Brandon, Manitoba. Lord Leigh, Lord-Lieutenant of
the County, presided ; and there was a crowded audience.

The Noble Oiiaikman, wlio was received with loud and prolonged applause,
said: '■ I can assure you it gives me very great pleasure indeed to be permitted to
have the honour this evening of occupying the chair. The function of a chainiian
of a lecture such as this is a very simple and easy one, and the less he says the
better, as the audience is anxiously expecting to hear what may fall from the lipy
of ilie lecturer. But it gives me special pleasure this evening to attend this
lecture, inasmuch as I am about to perform the pleasing duty of asking the son of
ii very resjiected and old friend and tenant to give a lecture, which I am sure you
will listen to with great pleasure. As regards the lecturer's father, it gives me,
as I am sure it gives all his friends— and he has many — much pleasure to
hear that gentleman is recovering from a severe illness, I only hope ami
trust his valuable life may be spared to his family and friends for many years
to come. The lecture you are going to listen to this evening is one iipo»i a
very interesting sul)ject, no less than that of a lecture upon one of our
largest colonies, that of Canada ; and when I hear of men, and women too, out of
employ, and when we hear, as we shall hear from the lecturer, of the large and
enormous tracts of land that are uncultivated, and which requires labour upon it
in a colony which is really no less than our own colony, and an English speaking
colony under an English Government, and when we know that there are hundreds
looking about and anxiously looking out for work, who can in a very short time —
a few weeks — go where they may get plenty of employment — I say it behoves
those who are unable to obtain work in this country to go where they can get
work. I will not detain you with any more observations as I am as anxious as
you are to hear what the lecturer has to say. I have nmch pleasure in introducing
the lecturer to you.

The Lecturbu, who wa3 enthusiastically received, thanked Lord Leigh for
the kinjd words he had spoken respecting his father and himself, and then i)ro-
ceeded with the subject of his lecture. He said: "The Dominion of Canada is
the Jargest of our colonial possessions, and covers an area of something like
i},500,000 square miles. It extends in one unbroken stretch from the Atlantic to
the Pacific Oceans, a distance of 3,000 miles. Its southern boundary extends to
the forty-second degree of latitude. It is larger than the United Stntes, and withi i

its boundaries 28 kingdoms as large as Great BrifAin and Ireland might be established.
Earl DniTerin, at one time Governor- General of Canada, says truly, ' Figures such as
these alike confound the arithmetic of the surveyor and the verification of the
explorer.' > •.

" The population of Canada is estimated to be nearly 5,000,000, or atout three
to every two square miles. Canada is divided into seven provinces, whilst in the
great North-West there Is a vast atnount of territory awaiting development into
new provinces. The names of the seven provinces are — Ontario, Quebec. New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, and British Columbia,
The four territories recently carved out of the North-West are Assiniboia, Alberta,
Saskatchewan, and Athabasca,

"The Government of Canada is Federal, i.e., there is a Central Government
having jurisdiction over the whole of the Dominion The seat of this Government
aS at Ottawa. Its head is a Governor- General, appointed by the Queen, and who
holds office for five years ; a Senate, consisting of members appointed for life by
the Crown upon the nomination of the Ministry ; and a House of Commons elected
by the people. From the Senate and the House of Commons is chosen a Ministry,
who carry on the business of the country much as it might be carried on m
England. Each of the provinces of the Dominion has a Lieutenant-Governor
aj) pointed by the Governor- General, and a Local Legislature chosen by the people,
with a responsuie Ministry, It is the business of these Local Legislatures to carry
on the ])urely local business of their respective provinces. Throughout the
Dominion there is a very ])crfect system of municipal government carried on by
means of county councils elected by the ratepayers, and whose business it is to
regulate local taxation for roads, schools, &c. . '-. - >.., i...i- ^ ir

" I propose, to-night, saying a little about each of the jjrovinces of the Dominion,
though I shall deal principally with Manitoba and the North-West, with regard to
which I can speak with more authority and from a more intimate knowledge of my
subject than I can of the other parts of the Dominion,

" Ontario is the wealthiest and most populous of these provinces, and has a
population of about ten to the square mile. To a considerable ex;;'»nt it is bounded
by the great lakes, viz,, Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Its
southern boundary is almost on the same latitude a.s Kome, whilst it extends north-
wards CO James' Bay. Its resources are chiefly timber and agriculture, but there
is also considerable mineral wealth, consisting of iron, copper, lead, silver,
petroleum, salt, &c. Quite recently a copper mine of immense wealth has been
discovered north of Lake Superior. The quality is said to be so rich and the yield
so great, that it is likely to revolutionise, the price of copper the world over. I
have seen samples of the copper, and met with men living in the neighbourhood of
the mines, and have every reason to believe the reports are substantially true.

" Fruit is very extensively grown in Ontario, many parts of which may be
described as a fruit garden. Professor Sheldon, of the West of England Agri-
cultural College, writing of the south-west part of Ontario, says : — ' This portica of
Ontario may be regarded as the garden of the Dominion — literally as -well as
figuratively the garden — for it is there that apples, pears, grapes, peaches, melons,

and the like grow in the greatest profusion, and with the least trc/iible on the part
of the farmer. Every farm has an orchard, and it is purely the farmer's fault if the
orchard is not an excellent one, for the climate and the soil are clearly all that can
be desired, and the trees will do their share of the work provided the right sorts are
planted.' And M. Girardot, a gentleman connected with one of the best wine
(llstricts of Eastern France, in contrasting it with his own country, remarks: — 'The
yield here is at least four or five tons to the acre ; tliere, not more than two. The
wines made here arc equal to any in Eastern France. From '20 acres of grapes the
yield of wine haf averaged about C,OCO gallons, and is very remunerative, a profit of
$800 (£100) per acre being frequently obtained,' In the district of country here
referred to several semi-tropical fruits are brought to jjerfection. The apricot,
nectarine, and quince are easily cultivated over an area of several thousand square
niHcs. At Niagara, the almond grows out of doors, and tlic fig is successfully
cultivated with scarcely any protection in winter, and ripens two crops in the year.

•' Speaking of the cultivation of fruit generally, Canada takes a leading place
for the high quality of her produce, and in 1882 exported no less thaTi ,^90,000.
The butter and cheese industrj' has attained large dimensions. The Government
returns show that in 1885 over 79,000,000 lbs. of cheese, valued at about
i;i. 050,000, was exported; and in the same year 7,330,000 lbs. of- butter,
valued at about £280,000. The number of cattle in the province is estimated at
nearly 2.000,000, and the nunvber of horses at about the same. From these
figures it will be seen that farming is engaged in very extensively in Ontario ;
and that life out there is not by any means the isolated and desolate kind of
existence imagined bv manv. If anv of you wore to visit the towns and cities
of Ontario you would be surprised to find how rapid is their advancement in all
that tends to the enlightenment and civilisation of the inhabitants. I have not
time to say much in detail regarding Ontario cities. Toronto, the capital of the
])rovince and the seat of the Local Government, is a city of 120,000 inhabitants,
beautifully situated on the shores of Lake Ontario. It has many miles of well-laid-
out streets, a tramway and a telephone systetn, gas and the electric light. It has
a great many ciiurches and magnificent public buildings. A large number of
Old Country people live in Toronto, and any one walking along its streets might
imagine himself to be in Manchester or Birmingham. Then there is Ottawa,
the capital of the Dominion, with a population of 28,000, and containing the
Dominion Houses of Tarliament and OflBces, the finest public buildings on the
North American continent. There is Hamilton, a manufactxiring centre, with
a population of 36,000 ; London, on the Thames, in Middlesex (you may imagine
yourself in England), with nearly 20,000 inhabitants; Kingston, Avith 15,000;
Brautford, with 12,000 ; Guelph, with 11,000 ; St. Catherine, with over 10,000 ;
and numerous other cities and towns Everywhere one meets with evidences of
enterprise and energy on the part of the inhabitants, and notices an evident
intention to keep abreast of the times in all that relates to their comfort and is
calculated to advance their well-being.

" Notwithstanding the large amount of settlement in Ontario, there are yet
between six aud seven million acres of surveyed land open for location as free-grant

lunds, bot)lilu» It. vutit umouiit uf land yut uutjurviiycd, covereil with valuable tlml>ur,aii(l
awaiting only the hand of man to clear, when there will be presented to the
agriculturist some of the richest and best of soil.

"I would not, however, recommend British emigrants, as a rule, to take up
free grants of land in Ontario, and that for several reasons. In the first j)lace the
land has almost invariably to be cleared of heavy timber, and is remote from
settlement. The ordinarj- Canadian, having been brought up to handle an axe
from his boyhood, is much better adapted to this kind of work than the Old
Country settler.

" If you do not wish to go out to the West, Avhere you can get land free from
the Govermuent all ready for the plough, you can usually buy improved farms at a
moderate price, and upon easy terms of payment. Perhaps you may think, if
f.liat is the case, farming cannot be a success, or the original owners would not
leave. The fact of their leaving is to be accounted for by the fact that the
pioneering instinct is strong in the average Canadian, and he is ever anxious to
move on to new and unexplored lands.

' ' The province of Quebec is the oldest and the largsst of the provinces of the
Dominion. It covers an area of something like 210,000 square miles, or, in other
words, is nearly twice the size of Great Britain and Ireland.

" It has a population of about l,y60,000, of whom over 1,000,000 are of French
origin. Agric ilture is, of course, the principal industry, but the fisheries and
timber are a source of immense wealth, and give employment to large numbers of
men, Quebec is also verj- rich in minerals, but, like Ontario, it has not any coal.
There is still a large amount of free-grant land to be taken uj) in the province of
Quebec ; but to the English emigrant I would say of this, as of the free-grant land
of Ontario, leave it to tlie Canadian pioneer, and yourself either purchase
improved farms or push on to the West and take possession of the land already
cleared by nature, and ready for your use. The province is well watered, and large
numbers of cattle are raised. Fruits grow in great profusion, and in some parts of
Quebec, as in Ontario, grapes ripen in the open air.

"The two principal cities are Quebec, the capital, with a population of
63,000, and Montreal, with a population of 150,000. The latter is verj- advan-
tageously situated on the river St. Lawrence, and is the commercial capital of the
Dominion. Crowds of shipping ie along the heavily-built stone wharves, and
vessels of 6,000 tons burden can come up to the city. A vast amount of capital is
centred in Montreal. There are very large manufactories, and many wholesale
warehouses quite as imposing in appearance as those of Manchester and London.
The scenery round Montreal is very beautiful.

" We next come to the Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia,
and Prince Eu ^ ard Island. New Brunswick lies to the east of Quebec, and is
210 miles in length by 180 in breadth, having a coast line of about 500 miles. It
is essentially a farming, timber, and fishing country. Shipbuilding is an important
industry. Many valuable minerals are found in considerable quantities, and coal is
very abundant.

" The province of Nova Scotia is a peninsula, lying between 43'' and 46" lat.

and 61" and fi7*» long. It is connected with New Bran«wick by a narrow isthmns,
and is about 300 miles long by 80 to 100 wide. A large amount of farming is
carried on, but the timber and fishing industries are by far the most important in
the province. Oak, elm, maple, beech, poplar, spruce, and other varieties grow
to a large size ; and millions of feet are.annually used for shipbuilding, or shipped
to foreign markets. The fisheries of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are very
rich, and have been and are to-day the cause of much dispute between Great
Britain and the United States.

"Owing to the great quantity of wild animals. Nova Scotia has been termed
the sportsman's paradise. There are bears, foxes, wolves, moose, otter, mink,
S'lble, hares, squirrels, woodcock, plover, geese, and duck, all of which are
abundant, and may be shot by any one, except in the close season. Halifax is the
capital of the province, and has one of the best harbours in the world. It is six
miles long, by, on an average, one mile wide, and, it is said, could accommodate all
the navies of the world. It is the principal Canadian winter seaport on the
Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 30,000, is an Imperial military
station, and a point of considerable commercial importance.

•' Prince Edward Island, the last of the eastern provinces we have to consider, is
also the smallest. It is au island, and is situated in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It
is 130 miles long, and about 3+ wide. Its chief features are agriculture, fishing,
and ship-building. It is particularly famed for its oysters, some of the finest
varieties in the world being dredged in its waters. There is one railway on the
island nearly 200 miles in length. Steamers ply between the island and the main-
land, but the navigation is closed during part of the winter, on account of ice in the
straits. In order to put an end to this kind of thing it is now seriously proposed to
construct a submarine tunnel. Charlottetown is the chief city, and has a popula-
tion of 11 ,500. The province itself has a population of nearly 110,000.

•• Thus far, my lord, we have been going along in a quiet plodding sort of way
in these eastern provinces, much as people live there, when compared with the
bustle, and activity, and enterprise of newer lands.

"Now, I am going to ask you to act upon the advice of Horace Greeley, who
said, ' Go West, young man, and grow up with the country.'

"I must ask you to come with me to tbi- beautiful old city of Quebec, and
' get all aboard the cars for the West.' And now we arc on the train, as jolly a
party as you can well imagine. You must understand, the trains in Canada are
constructed very differently from English oiu^s. There are, perhaps, four or five
passenger coaches on the train. Instead of gritting into these trains from the side,
as in England, we mount a platform at the end of the carriage, and enter from the
end. There is a small passage, or aisle, right down the middle, and seats are
arranged on either side. The seats are usually upholstered, and, having a swing
back, are reversible. You can walk from one carriage to another from end to end
of the train. The carriages are well heated, and are supplied with water for
drinking purposes, a lavatory, &c. Meals can be obtained on board, in fact a train
is like a moving hotel. On the train to the West you will find all sorts and
conditions of men. There are young men from some of the best families in

England, there are the sons of army and navy officers, and of clergymen, there are
professional men, tradesmen, farmers, mechanics, and labourers. All from tlie dear
old land, each intent upon bettering his circumstances in the great new land to
which he has tnrned his footsteps, pressing on with high endeavour, hoping success
may attend his efforts. Of course, amongst this gathering there are some hlacit
sheep, some whoso innate inclination to evil precludes the probability of
prosperity.

"The train we arc on is bound to Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba, and
thence to Vancouver, the Pacific terminus of the Canadian I'acific Railway
Company. Some of our passengers alight at stations m route, to join friends who
have preceded them it may be, or to try their luck in the older provinces, &c. ; but
the majority, and I think wisely, go right through to Winnipeg.

"About three or four days after leaving Quebec, and after travelling many
hundreds of miles through dense forests to the north of Lake Superior, we enter
upon the plains or prairies, and at the very entrance reach Winnipeg, one of the
most wonderful cities of modern times. In brief and general terms I will speak
about it to you, and I hope the description will dispel any illusions you may
entertan regarding thi wildness and seclusion of the place. I know many in
England imagine life in Canada, especially in the West, is life spent in the back-
woods, and amongst barbarians. The idea is an altogether mistaken one."

...i.r.i ..na WINNII'EO. '■•

" About twelve years since Winnipeg was a small 'irading post of the Hudson
Bay Company, containing a population of about 300, including Indians ; a village
without railway communication with the outer world. To-day it is a city of
25,000 inhabitants, with six lines of railway running into it, and having direct
daily communication with all parts of the civilised world. '

"There are tram-cars running along its principal streets; and these streets are
lit in some parts by the electric light, and in others by gas. Even in '82, when I
first reached Winnipeg, one enterprising firm of dra])ers had their i)remises illumi-
nated by the electric light.

" The thoroughfares are well laid out, and, in fact. Main Street, Winnipeg, is
stiid to be the finest in the Dominion of Canada. It is lined for two miles or more
with stores, many of them of immense size, and displaying a variety and quality
of goods credital)lc to Oxford or Regent Streets, London.

"There arc churches of all denominations. It is the scat of a Churcli of
England bishopric— that of Rupert's Land. The Prcsl)ytcrians hnvc several very
successful churches, and also a college for training young men for the ministry.
The Weslcyans are very strong in Winnipeg, and have several beautiful churches.
Baptists, Congrcgutionalists, Roman Catholics, Jews, &c., all have regular ])Iaces
of meeting. Tlierc is a very flourisliing branch of the Young Men's Christian
Association.

" There are a numl)cr of well-appointed and administered schools, where the
young of all classes are taught free, and also some high-class schools. There is an
Historical and Scientific Society. The Ilniversity of Manitoba is also in Winnipeg.

There arc various clubs, where the bachelorhood and fnshion of the city congregate
— clubx with appointments not inferior to many of those in London. There is a
boatii I'lub, football and crickot clubs, and a snow-shoe club, the members of the
last meeting on bright, frosty evenings for a run on snow-shoes into the country.

" The Local Legislature — that is, the Legislature of the Province of Manitoba-
meets in a magnificent l)uil(ling in the west-end of the city, where also are situated
the residence of the Lieutenant-Governor and most of the Government buildings.

" In this sjimc vicinity are also a numl)cr of beautiful villa residences, mostly
of brick or stone — houses »piite able to rank in appearance with most of your
houses of a similar order at homo. There is a very handsome building recently
erected for the city council as a town hall, &c., at a cost of about £20,000. ■ . -

" A new post-office is in course of erection, which will, A\hen finished, be far
superior to any I have seen in most of our English provincial towns.

''There is a theatre; and there are constantly lectures, concerts, and public
entertainments for the edification and uniuscraent of the people.

•'There are three very largo (lour mills, and some snuiUer ones; there arc
foundries, ])aper factories, biscuit factories, saw mills, breweries, furniture factories,
paper mills, and other concerns, giving employment to large numbers of jjcople.
There are immense elevators, for storing the wheat of the boundless grain country
to the west, and large stock-yards for the accommodation of the ever- increasing
herds of cattle ])assiiig through tlie city to the eastern markets. The workshops of
the Canadian Pacific Railway for the western division of the line are situated in
Winnipeg, anil give employment to several thousands of people. », [ ,_ .„^,,,

" With all these addenda to civilisfUion, it cannot well be said that Winnipeg
is a Avilderness ; as an old lady iimocently remarked to me, in Southampton the
other day, she believed it to be. On the contrary, there is great business activity,
and if you were to go down Main Street any fine afternoon you might imagine
yourself in one of the jtrincipal promenades of Leamington or Birmingham. Such,
then, sketched briefiy, is the capital of the new country to which we have come.
What shall we do now we arc here? Nine out of ten who come to the country
engage in agriculture. My advice to those who reach Manitoba intending to
embark in farming — whether they have money or not — would be, work for
someone else for six or tA\elve months, and gain exjjerience before venturing on
your own account. Do this, and, depend upon it, it will be worth hundreds of
dollars to you. It may be that in the Old Country yon have not been accustomed
to farm work, of course that will be some little disadvantjigc to you, but not by any
means an insurmountable one. If you have sound English common sense, and
ambition to make yourself useful, you will be able to obtain Avork on a farm,
and no doubt give satisfaction. In this way you will be enabled to learn the
details of farming for yourself, and gain such an insight into the modes of life
obtaining throughout the country, and get such practical information of a gene^-al
character, as will enable you within twelve months after your arrival to strike ont, if
you wish, and go into farming on your own account, and to do so with much greater
chances of success than you had upon arrival in the country. Perhaps I may be
s])eaking to some to-night who have not been used to earn their living by manual

labour, i.;it who ronsidor it nnpcssftrv to oiniumtc ntul arc not Itlcssod willi nny
too nuu li vmlx ; if so, I would say, take care of what you have, aiwl do not ho
above workinj^ for othcrH to ^aiti experience.

" In the flr^t \Anca there is not in the colonieH that same Hcn c of degradation
(false iw false can be in spirit) attachinj; to manual labour wl icii tneew us m
iminfolly in Britain. Hut even if there were, be prepared to \m)\<^ the inanliness
of your nature, and make one noble resolve to break throu>;h ihc miserable
conventionalities of ai. over-wrought civilisation, by en^^aginn in that labour best
calculated to fit you for your life-work. Thomas Carlyle has well said, 'all
true work Is sacred ; in all true work, were it but true hand-labour, tiiere is
something of divinencss; labour, wide as the earth, has its summit in Heaven."
Well, I was saying, you must find your work, and do it with your might, and
at the end of six or twelve months you will have gained sucli experience as will
enable you to tell what part of the country is best to take up land in, and what
kind of land is best suited to your purpose.

"It may be useful to sjvy u few words explanatory of the land laws
of the country. Any male over 18 years of age, and any person the head
of a family, is entitled to a free grant of 160 acres of splendid land, and the
only charge in connection with this is an office fee of £2, when entry is ma<lc.
The settler is required to live upon the land for six months in each year
for three years in succession, and to bring under cultivation not less than
five acres each year. In order to suit the convenience of settlers who may
not be prepared for a year or two to live on the land, an alternative jdan is
allowed. Having entered at the Government office for your land, you will proceed
to put np a small house (probably of wood), and a small stable. The cost of these
will depend altogether upon the size and quality of your bnililings. Many are
built of logs cut by the settler in the woods; others, of lumber or sjiwn board>.
Avhich can be bought at reasonable rates in any of tlie towns tlirotighoitt the
country. If you have a slight knowledge of rough carpentering so much the
better for you, for in many cases you will have to be architect, contractor, and
labourer combined in regard to your own work and buildings.

"The next thing will be to buy a waggon, plough, and horses or oxen. The
latter are much used for farm ])urposes in the newly-settled i)artsof the country, and,
if you only exercise a little patience and kindness, will invariably do their work in
a satisfactory way, either in the waggon, plough, or harrows: in fact, will do the
work of horses. They are, moreover, much less liable to disease or sudden illness
than horses, and are a much sjifer investment, to sjiy nothing of being a much more
profitable one, for when your oxen's working days and years are over— a* the end
of ten or fifteen summers — you can turn them loose on the rich prairie grass and
fatten them for the butcher, A friend of mine tells me they make the very best of
beef. With your house and stable built, and yonr outfit bought, you set to work to
plough your land You can commence ploughing about the middle of April, and
go on to the end of June, by which time, if you have been industrious, and sticking
close to work, you may have from 75 to 100 acres ploughed. It is nothing
unusual for a team of two horses or oxen to plough 1^ acres per day. I have

froquontly known tliom do 2 iiores ; whllHt on stuhhlo, I luivo known one man
nnd tennj <lo il iktch per day. Wo usually plough widn and t^liallow.

" In cfuly and tlio early ])art of Anpust you put iii> your hay for the winter.
Vou do not have f .ait until you have made a meadow; you simply go forth to
the prairie and cut tiic ri(di grasses Nature has so bountifully distributed.

•' In selecting land, take care to choose a farm not merely on account of its
wheat-growing capabilities, but with plenty of grass, bearing in mind that you
cannot live bv wheat alono. At least, it is not advisrible to trr to do so ; vou will
make a much caHicr and much surer living by engaging in mi.\od farming — i.r.,
raising stock as well as growing grain.

" Any time after the middle of July you may commence to jilough over again
— or backset, as wo call it — the land you ploughed in the spring and early summer.
When you first pUnigh the land; or break it, it should be ploughed from 1^ inches
In 2 inches deep, and 12 inches or 14 inches wide; when backsetting, you generally
plough 4 inches deep, so that yon turn i)ack the first sod, and throw up other
2 inches on the tof) of it. Your land is then ready for seeding the next spring.
Vou will have some spare time in October, and should then begin to consider your
plans for the winter.

•• During the winter, if yon have some stock, you will find jtlenty to do
looking after them, and getting hay home for them, for wo very seldom stack the
hay at the stable, as in England. In order to save time in the summer, it is usually
stacked where cut and taken home n.s required in the winter, when there is not so
much work to do.

" Then you will have your grain to haul to market, and wood to haul liome for
fuel and fencing. If you are unmarried, there is another thing you will have to
ilo on the long winter evenings, and it is very likely to take up a great deal of your
time — and hat is, to look out for a wife. You will be too busy in the summer to do
this kind of thing. However, I shall have a word or two to say on this question
later. Upon the whole, your winter will jmss away pleasantly enough, and next
spring you will have to he ready, immediately the snow disappears, to put in your
crop. If you arc astir tolerably early you can put in 75 or 80 acres without much
or any outside assistance. Once in, you have nothing more to do with it until
luirvest time — aboat the middle of August. You will then get a self-binder
(reaping machine), which will cnt and bind your grain. You then stook it,
and in a short time thrnah it, and either put it in your granary or haul it to
market.

" If the crop is moderately good, you will probably have 20 bushels an acre of
wheat. I have known many raise 25 to 30, and have grown between 30 and 40 myself ;
but, on the other hand, on light land I have known men raise not more than
15 bushels, so that I make a moderate estimate, not caring to e-aggerate, and say
you will probably have 20 bushels an acre off your 75 acres, c ,500 bushels of
the very best wheat the world produces. Probably this will be worth 2s. or 2s. 6d.
per bushel to you. If you have cattle and pigs, you, of course, have additional
sources of income in these, whilst in your garden you can grow almost everything
you require for the table in the shape of vegetables. Potatoes grow to a grea

size, and frequently weigh from 2 lb. to 3 lb. each, whilst sqnajsh grows to 100 lbs.
and 125 lbs. in weight.

" During those first two years of your life out West you will have had lots of
hard work, but now you begin to reap the harvest of your labours, and can enjoy
more leisure.

*' During odd times you will find plenty to do improving your farm,
putting up fences, additional buildings, and so on. Of course, many men
who go out have not suflScient money to enable them, even after they have
taken up land, to live permanently upon it. There are thousands of such.
Usually they live on the farm in the winter and work for other farmers in
the swmmer, and arrange with some neighbour to do the requisite amount of
ploughing and seeding on their farm, returning the labour to him at some other
time, and do this for two or three years, until well enough off to live altogether on
their own place. Many who go out rent a farm for a year or two, and in this way
secure a living, and are enabled at leisure to look round for a suitablj locality to
settle in. There are plenty of farms to rent upon advantageous terms. Many
are let upon the share system — the owner providing the land ready for seeding
operations and furnishing the seed, the tenant doing all the work and giving a
proportion of the crop for rent. In this way a large cash outlay on the part of the
tenant is avoided. . " , '.,

*' Not a few go out to Manitoba Avith the intention of following the particular
line of business they have been accustomed to at home. It is possible they may be
able to do so, but it is also very possible they may find all these avenues full, and
in that case must be prepared to do something else. Find out some honourable
work, and pursue it with your might, and depend upontit God will prosper you.

"In a very brief and very general way I have tried to tell you what you may
expect to do when you reach the Canadian North-West, but of course a general
rule is not in every case applicable, individual cases recjuire special adaptation to
the circumstances surrounding them, but usually the adaptation may be upon the
general lines I have indicated.

•' To the ordinary English miud there is one great drawback to settlement in
Canada, and that is the climate. It is represented by interesited and unscrupulous
United States' agents, and often by ignorant but well-meaning people in England,
as being too rigorous for any but Esquimaux and polar bears to exist. Nothing is
further from the truth. After spending four winters in the country I can honestly
say I prefer the winter of the Canadian North-West to the miserable cold, damp,
fog, and slush of the English winter. Most British people who have lived long
enough in the country to overcome feelings of home-sickness will tell you the
same, whilst settlers from the eastern provinces of Canada almost invariably
admit their preference for the climate over that of the part from which they
come. It is my firm conviction the climate i« one of the healthiest, if not
absolutely the healthiest, in the world ; and all admit it is specially suited for
children. The winters are undeniably cold, but as the atmosphere is dry the cold
is not felt nearly so much as in countries where the temperature is higher and the
humidity greater.

,'•1/1 ,

" The winter lasts about four and a half or five months, from November to March.
During the greater ])art of that time we have continuous frost ; and rain and thaw
are unknown, or nearly so. The thermometer frequently registers, especially in
December and January, considerably below zero. Living in England, where 5°
above zero is thought extremely cold, I am sure such figures must convey to you an
idea of cold (luite unbearable. Such an idea is false. Bu. 20* and 30° below zero,
when there is scarcely a breath of wind, and the day is bright, clear, and full of
sunshine, as is frequently the case, is simply glorious. I don't know of anything
more enjoyable in the shape of wintry weather, whilst a sleigh ride or a walk under
such conditions is invigorating and health-imparting in the highest degree. There
are many days when the thermometer is above zero, and sometimes in the middle of
the day it scarcely freezes at all. I have often seen men working out of doors
without their coats on in winter, and if you are in the woods, where men are
working, you may see this every day. The cold is steady for four and a half months,
and the season dry, with only a slight snowfall. We usually have a clear blue
sky and bright sunshine.

" Knowing what weather to expect we prepare accordingly, and, as a result, are
inconrenienced by the cold but little. The winter, too, is a great time for amuse-
ments. Sleigh riding, tobogganing, socials, and surprise parties are the order of the
day. I don't know what you would think if 20 or 30 ladies and gentlemen walked
up to, or rather drove up to, your house some night about six o'clock and said they
had come to spend the evening with you. Such a thing often occurs in Canada, and
very pleasant times are spent at these surprise parties. Dancing and all kinds of
games are indulged in. If you happen to live in a settlement where the neighbours
are sociable and fond of enjoyment, there will be something of the kind two or three
times a week ; and this is your golden opportunity, if unmarried, to look after a
wife. Women are scarce in the country districts, and any who are worth having are
very soon appropriated by some of the farmers. You will have to find out the best
and perhaps the quickest May to win a woman's love, for competition is keen, and
no slow coaches need apply. The summer is warm, some few days extremely hot.
During the summer months we have verj' heavy thtiiiderstorms, the lightning being
specially vivid. In June, July, and August the mosquitoes are. troublesome,
especially to new comers. With the advance of settlement these troublesome
insects, to a great extent, disjippear. The summer is really very enjoyable, for no
matter how hot the day. there is almost invariably a cool breeze on the prairie, and
the extremely hot days when tliere is no breeze, like tlie extremely cold days of
winter, arc hnt few. Ui)on the whole, the climate is decidedly enjoyable. The great
Nortli-Wcst is a veritable happy hunting ground for the si)ortsman. There are
numerous wild animals in the country. The buffalo is seldom met with, though
occasionally a few are seen. They have been ruthlessly slaughtered by Indians and
by white men, and are almost extinct. Bears are still to be met with in some
l)arts of the country. There are a few wolves and foxes, and in the wooded
neighbourhoods moose, elk, and various kinds of deer are to be met with. There is
also an abundance of small game, wild turkeys, geese and ducks, prairie chickens,
and plover; and other smaller birds are to be met with all over the country.

There is a close season for game, but the game laws are not all burdensome,
find any man who has a gun vy go ont and shoot almost where he chooses without
hindrance. It is nothing uiKommon for two or three friends to start out in the
morning and shoot one or two hundred chickens and ducks before night.

' ' The Government of Manitoba is of the most representative character, and
is carried on through a Legislative Assembly of thirty-five members, elected by
the people. There is a responsible ministry chosen from the Legislature. The
Assembly meets in Winnipeg, and is dissolved not less than once in four years.
Practically we have manhood suffrage. There is no property qualification necessary
for a candidate for Parliamentary honours, and, as members are paid an annual sum
from the Provincial Treasury, there is no valid reason why a good man, no
matter what his position in life, should not rise to occupy the highest position.
In addition to the Local Legislature, Manitoba also returns five members to tho
Dominion Parliament, which meets in Ottawa, and in many matters has jurisdiction
over the whole of Canada.

*' There is also an excellent system of local self-government. The cities are
governed by a mayor and corporation, much as in England. The rural districts
nre divided into municipalities, each with its own popularly-elected council, and
whose duty it is to look after purely local matters. I would suggest, might not
some remedy for existing evils be found in the adoption of some such system as tbis
in Great Britain ?

" There is an admirable educational system in Manitoba and the North-West,
modelled after the Ontario system, which is reputed the best in the world. One
thirty-Kixth of the whole land in the country is set apnrt for educational purposes,
and education is free — i.e.. there is no direct charge. There is a small charge upon
the land. Even in the most remote districts very few of the settlers are more than
three miles from a school, whilst in many parts they nre much nearer.

" Schools are extending throughout the ])rovin('e with great rapidity, and
Hettlers need have but little doubt as to their ability to secure the blessings of
education for their children. I believe all teachers in these Government schools
.ire certificated, and that the schools are from time to time inspected by duly
qualified inspectors.

" My remarks to-night would be incomplete if I omitted to make reference to
the railroad system of Canada. There are three great lines which in point of
importance and length of mileage overshadow all others — these are the Inter-
Colonial, the Grand Trunk, and the Canadian Pacific Railway. The first of these
is controlled and operated by the Dominion Government. It is located princi])ally
in the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Quebec. The Grand Trunk
5^ .1 most extensive system, and has branches all over the principal parts of Ontario
and Quebec,

" The Canadian Pacific Railway is, in some respects, the most important of all.
Much has been heard in England during recent years of this railway, and I
sincerely hope much more may he heard of it in the future, for, if properly
managed, it will be of immense benefit not only to Canada, but also, in the event
of contingencies, to the whole British Em])ire. A few figures regarding it may be

iiituruHtlng, Thu totul Icngtit of thu iimlii lino bctwuun Quebec, on tliu uauturii
shores of Canada, and Vancouver on the Pacific, the western terminus of tlie line,
is a little over 3,000 miles. In addition to this there are various branch lines anc'.
other systems incorporated with it, making the total mileage of the Canadian
Pacific system, in 1886, amount to 3,709 miles. The time occupied in building the
road is said to have been fonr-and-a-half years, or at the rate of a little over two-
and-a-half miles per day.

"In addition to the Canadian Pacific Railway, we have, in Manitoba and the
North-West, the Manitoba and North -Western system, extending for a distance of
190 miles in a north-westerly direction from Portage-la- Prairie. It passes through
a magnificent stretch of country, and one well adapted for mixed farming. Large
numbers of settlers from the Old Country are living in the country through
which this line passes. Then there is the Winnipeg and Hudson Bay Railway, of
which, us a commencement, 40 miles were built last year. This road is proposed
to rnn from Winnipeg, in a northerly direction, to some point on Hudson's Bay,
tliere to connect with lines of steamers running to Great Britain direct. It is
estimated that, Avhen this line is built and operated, the distance between Winnipeg
and Liverpool will be reduced by nearly 1,000 miles. Of the importance of such a
road as this to the country one cannot spealc too highly.

*' There is also a railway known as the ' North- Western Coal and Navigation
Company's Railway,' running from Dunmore — a point on the Canadian Pacific
Railway some 650 miles west of Winnipeg in a south-westerly direction — to
Lethbridge, a distance of 109 miles. At Lethbridge are some very valuable coal
mines. When Canada was Confederated, in 1867, there were 2,258 miles in
operation ; in 1886, there were 10,715, an increase speaking much for the advance-
ment of the whole country.

" Perhaps these details into which I have entered may not prove interesting
to all, but I trust they may at any rate prove instructive to those who think of
settling in Canada. I am conscious that in these days more interest is taken by
Englan. in her colonies than was the case years ago. Imperial federation is in
the air, and if we would strengthen the bonds of unity between the mother land ,
of which we are all so proud, and the distant colonies, we must know more of each
other. Out of that increased knowledge will grow increased regard, I might say
love, which will, I trust, tend to the solidification and perpetuation of the noblest
and most popular empire the world has ever seen. We come to England and ask
her surplus population to come, and, still under the grand old flag, the Union
Jack, help us to build up new Englands beyond the seas. We do so in no spirit
of rivalry. We see here men and women trampling each other down in the
competition for a living, see them standing about 350 to the square mile, while
in Canada we have millions of acres of land, rich and productive, needing only
the hand of man to till it and extract its latent wealth. In nearly all branches of
trade in England to-day you find the labour market overstocked. Especially is
this so in regard to the higher industries. We hear of men applying by the
hundreds for a situation at a remuneration of £1 per week, of men and women
toiling from early morn till late at night, toiling, well nigh incessantly, amidst

squalor, wretchedness, and impure air, that they may honestly cam a small pittance
oi Is. or Is. fid. per day, and thus keep body and soul together. We hear also of
large numbers who find it next to impossible to obtain even casual employment,
such as will enable them to exist. We hear of 20,000 or 30,000 rising daily in
London not knowing where their day's food is to come from. And these are not
idle rumours. They arc stern facts, the existence of which any of you may prove if
you will. Col. Caldecott, three years since, said : ' In England we seem to have over-
grown our country. Every profession and every trade seemed to be overcrowded,
and competitors were so numerous that success Avas very uncertain in any
particular walk of life.' Anxious mothers and fathers are seriously asking the
(juestion, ' What shall we do with our boys and girls? ' Even the columns of the
daily papers luc devoted to discussions of the subject. The problem jiiTSses for
solution, and year by year, as it remains imsolved, the tension is becoming greater,
and the demand for its speedy settlement more and more irresistible. Answered
the question must be soon, or the mass of pent-up misery, urged on by the pangs
of hunger, will be like to expend itself in the throes of bloody revolution. To my
mind tlie day is not far distant when in this country we must have State-aided
emigration, carried on as a distinct depai'tment of Government, just as to-day we
have a Department of Education and a Board of Trade. I do not advise
indiscriminate emigration — far from it. If you are doing well, stay where you
are, but if your present position is unsatisfactory, and your prospects for the
future arc not bright — or if you have a family and the outlook for their settlement
at home is not cheering — then it becomes a serious question whether or not you
may better your circumstances by going to some new land. We give you what
information Ave can, and you must answer for yourself the question, shall I
emigrate ? If you decide to do so, then I have no hesitation in recommending
Canada to you ; for, from all I can learn regarding the other colonies and the
United States, I believe the advantages offered by Canada, geographically, com-
mercially, and politically, are superior to them all. It is a splendid field for the
investment of capital, either in large or small quantities. The man who can invest
£200 out there will accomplish more with it than he could hope to do with three
times the amount at home. The man avIio has no capital, save honour, industry,
and strength, may go out witli the almost absolute certainty of success in the near
future, whilst as to women the scope for the exercise of their genius is unlimited.
Domestic servants are in great demand at high wages, for the very simple reason
that they are no sooner in a situation than they get married. To each one who is
thinking of seeking a home in some new land, I say, think of the matter seriously.
If you think it right to go, hesitate not, pull yourself together, and, with resolute
will and light heart, go forth determined to do your best, knowing that if you do
that He who has cared for you thus far will care for and help you still."

Mr. Jaquek, of Liverpool, the well-known Canadian traveller, illustrated
the lecture with dissolving views, which much interested the audience. He gave
many instructive and racy remarks as each picture waB presented, and demon-
strated to the audience the wonderful rapidity of growth of Western cities. He
was heartily cheered from tiane to time. , moia

Lord Bbioh moved a hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer, Mr. Anthony, J.
McMillan, and to Mr. Jaques for the illustrations. He said he had listened to
many lectures during the past 30 years, but without any flattering he could say he had
never listened to a more interesting one than that just delivered by Mr. McMillan.
It was practical, and just what was needed by those who meditated emigration.
The views given by Mr. Jaques were very interesting and instructive.

The resolution was seconded by Mr. Henry Street, and carried
unanimously.

Mr. McMillan and Mr. Jaques responded, the latter gentleman moving a
hearty vote of thanks to Lord Leigh for presiding.

His Lordship responded, and said he was very pleased to be present. He
said all were much indebted to Dr. Wyntcr, who had kindly arranged this meeting,
simply because he believed the working men and others of the district desired to
liear more about Canada.

Three hearty cheers were given for Lord Leigh.

Mr. Jaques said that the English were not so loyal as the Canadians ; they
never concluded a meeting without singing the National Anthem, and he proposed
they should do so. This was done and brought the meeting to a close.

POSTSCRIPT.

Since the above lecture was delivered last winter, I have again been living in
Canada. At the rec[uest of many friends, on both sides the Atlantic, I have
returned to Great Britain this winter to tell what I know about Canada to those
who wish to hear it. I may say we have this year had magnificent crops in
Manitoba, and farmers are jubilant, as well they may be. For those who have
capital to invest, there is at the present time a splendid field in Canada, especially
in Manitoba and the North-West. For tenant farmers, who in England are
struggling with adversity, I know of no better field than Manitoba. There are
many inquiries for agricultural labourers and domestic servants for next spring.

Information of a reliable nature regarding Canada may be obtained at the
Offices of the High Commissioner for Canada, 9, Victoria Chambers, Westminster,
London, S.W. Upon arrival in Canada every assistance will be given the intend-
ing settler by the Government officials stationed in the various cities and towns. So
far as Manitoba is concerned, I would advise all who, upon arrival, require advice
or assistance of any kind to call in at the offices of the "Dominion Government
Intelligence Department," or the " Manitoba Government Intelligence Depart-
ment," both of which are situated on the Canadian Pacific Railway platform at
Winnipeg. The officials of these offices will, without any charge, render all
possible assistance.

ANTHONY J, McMillan.

Kenilw'orth, Warwickshire,
December 2^rd, 1887.