PRICE O N E

SHILLING.

A PRACTICAL

GUIDE FOR EMIGRANTS
NORTH AMERICA,
INCLUDING

The United States, Lower and Upper Canada,
and Newfoundland ;
WITH FULL INFORMATION RESPECTING THE PREPARATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE VOYAGE, INSTRUCTIONS ON LANDING, TRAVELLING
ROUTES, CAPABILITIES AND PRICE OF LAND, FARMING OPERATIONS, PRICE OF LABOUR, AND ALL OTHER MATTERS
REQUISITE FOR THE EMIGRANT TO BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH BEFORE EMBARKING ;

With a correct Map of the United States.

BY GEORGE NETTLE,
(LATE OF DEVONPORT,)

SEVEN

YEARS

SIMPKIN,

RESIDENT

IN NORTH

LONDON:
MARSHALL,

AND

AMERICA.

CO.,

STATIONERS' HALL COURT ;

WARD AND CO., PATERNOSTER ROW; DARTON AND C0.,
HOLBORN HILL.

LIVERPOOL: EDWD. HOWELL, 6, CHURCH
1850.

STREET.

JUST
PRICE

TWO

PUBLISHED,

SHILLINGS

AND

SIXPENCE,

THE

EMIGRANTS' HAND-BOOK,
AND

New Guide For Travellers
THROUGH T H E

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
CONTAINING A
D E S C R I P T I O N OP T H E STATES, C I T I E S , TOWNS, VILLAGES, WATERING
P L A C E S , COLLEGES, E T C . , ETC. ; W I T H T H E RAILROAD, STAGE,
AND STEAM-BOAT ROUTES, T H E DISTANCES FROM PLACE
TO P L A C E , AND T H E F A R E S ON T H E GREAT
TRAVELLING R O U T E S .

BY J. CALVIN SMITH.

LONDON:
S I M P K I N ,

M A R S H A L L ,

LIVERPOOL I G. P H I L I P
J.

MENZIES,

AND

AND SON, AND E .

E D I N B U R G H ; J. R O B E R T S O N ,
R. GRIFFIN AND CO., GLASGOW.

C O . ;
HOWELL
DUBLIN;

A PRACTICAL

GUIDE FOR EMIGRANTS
TO

NORTH AMERICA,
INCLUDING

The United States, Lower and Upper Canada,

and Newfoundland ;
WITH FULL INFORMATION RESPECTING THE PREPARATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE VOYAGE, INSTRUCTIONS ON LANDING, TRAVELLING
ROUTES, CAPABILITIES AND PRICE OF LAND, FARMING OPERATIONS, PRICE OF LABOUR, AND ALL OTHER MATTERS
REQUISITE FOR THE EMIGRANT TO BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH BEFORE EMBARKING;

With a correct Map of the United States.
B Y

A

SEVEN YEARS' RESIDENT IN NORTH AMERICA.

LONDON:
S I M P K I N , M A R S H A L L , A N D CO.,
STATIONERS' HALL COURT.

LIVERPOOL: ED WD. HOWELL, 6, CHURCH STREET.
1850.

917
N38p

LIVERPOOL:
GEORGE PHILIP AND SON, PRINTERS.

PREFACE.

THE frequent observance of the distressed condition of
many of the labouring classes of emigrants, as well in the
Canadas as in the North American States, either from a
want of more provident care in the beginning, from being
misguided, or from indolent habits, having caused many
painful sensations; and witnessing, also, with pain, the
miserable condition of the poor labouring classes in England, who might, with proper care and instruction, considerably improve their circumstances by emigration, but
who, in consequence of their immense numbers, overstock
the market for husbandry, mechanical, and other labour,
have induced the author, after seven years' travels amongst
all ranks and conditions of society, to use his humble endeavours in guiding those who may emigrate in future into
a safe and proper course, and in preventing such evils as
have befallen others.
Many attempts have been made by different legislatures,
no doubt from the best motives, to raise the wages and
improve the condition of the labourer, but which have
proved, as they ever will prove, abortive; for no legislative enactment can ever fix the amount of wages and work
that may be arranged between master and servant in a free
country.

IV.

PREFACE.

In some instances, the labouring husbandman has been
allowed a rough piece of land by the farmer, to raise some
potatoes for himself, which brings the land into cultivation;
and many men of landed property have also appropriated ,
small pieces of land for the like purpose; but with all due
respect for their intended philanthropy, I beg leave to
differ from them. It is very true that a poor labouring
man, after going through the toil of the day, on his return
home, observing the wants of his wife and family, is ready
and willing to toil again, and to exhaust his strength for
them. But this ought not to be : for if the labourer has
done justice to his employer during ten hours of the day,
he ought to rest. Surely, then, this is not sterling philanthropy.
If the hundreds of thousands of acres of land in England and Ireland that are laying waste were cultivated, the
evil would be considerably lessened, and the heavy and
increasing poor-rate materially reduced. Unless something be done, the evil must and will progress; for the
poor naturally increase in a greater ratio than the rich,
and to aggravate the evil, every improvement in machinery
tends to supersede manual labour.
What, then, is to be done but to emigrate ? Compare
the condition of the labourer in North America with that
of the labourer in England: in the former he receives at
least eighteen shillings per week, and plenty of employment, except in some cases for about four winter months
in the year, whilst the necessaries of life are cheaper
by one half than they are in this country. A yearly

PREFACE.

V.

labourer receives about twenty pounds, and has everything
provided for him in the house. In England the labourer
who may be fortunate enough to obtain employment,
eanrs from nine to eleven shillings per week only, for the
same amount of labour, and has to pay more than double
the price for the same description of necessaries. The
consequence is, that the labourer and his family are haK
starved at home, whilst the labourer in America has his
table abundantly supplied.
Whoever may make up his mind to emigrate, should
decidedly wean himself from all the ties and endearments
of home, or he will become unhappy and discontented
under any circumstances, and, like many thousands, sigh
to return.
Liverpool, April, 1850.

CONTENTS.
PAGE.

Those who ought to go—those who may go—and those who
ought not to go
.
Arrangements for the Passage—Expenses, Provisions, &c.
—Garden Seeds and Fruit Trees to be taken out by a
Gardener
Voyage across the Atlantic Ocean—The River St. Lawrence, &c. to Quebec—Arrival at Quebec—Landing—
Description and directions—Taking of the Garrison by
Gen. Wolfe—Monument to his and the French General's
memory—Remarks on the Monument at Queenston to
the memory of General Brock—Market, &c
Journey to Montreal—Description of its locality and soil—
Market—Religious Establishments—Shipping* Merchandise, &c
Journey to Kingston—Climate — Dock Yard — Going
through the Rapids—Delightful Scenery, &c
Journey to Toronto—Market—Military and other Establishments—Hamilton, description of, and business in
general—Dundas
Journey towards New London, direct, or first to St.
Catherine's, Thorold, Niagara, &c, opposite and near
the American States—Instructions in Journeying, &c...
Newfoundland—Short description—Its advantages and
importance to Fishermen and to the Mercantile Interests
Landing at New York—Instructions—Currency, &c.—
Banking System—Journey to Albany—Crossing to Canada, if necessary—'Observations on Rochester, Buffalo,
&c.—Journey further West
Travelling—Mechanical Labour—Hiring out and getting
Wages—Dutch and German character—Rules and cautions in purchasing Land—Yankee Farmers going West—
Comparative state of Prices of Produce in England and
America—Caution and information to young Farmers
going out—Fraudulent practices of Proprietors in selling
Land

7
9

12
17
18
19
21
22

23

27

viii.

CONTENTS.
PAGE.

Qualities of Soil—Manure—Distance from Market—Choice
and quality of Land—Mode of Farming—Food of Animals, &c
Crops in Farming—Curious accounts of Profits, by some
authors—Objections to the statements of such Profits—
Destruction by Insects, &c.—How Property has been
obtained and earned—Description of Destructive Insects, &c
General Instructions to the Labouring Man
Fish
Game, &c
Indians
Remarks on the causes of Emigration—Government Gratuitous Emigration—Land Companies—Winter Amusements, &c. — Mercantile and Political state of the
Colonies, &c
American Character, generally—Their dislike to the English, and the causes—Some sorts of English characters
who emigrate—Yankee Freedom—Slavery—Disgraceful
Preaching to. the Slaves—Anti-Slavery Meetings in the
North
,
Lawyers, Doctors, and Magistrates
Neighbourly kindness in some of the Northern StatesObservations on the Currency,
&c
General Statement of Weekly Wages, &c

31

36
39
45
46
47

48

53
55
56
57

PRACTICAL

HINTS TO EMIGRANTS,
&c., &c.

EMIGRATION TO NOETH AMERICAThose who OUGHT to go—those who MAY go-^and those who
ought NOT to go.
THERE are certain classes of persons* from their condition and circumstances in life, who are proper subjects for
emigration. There are those who ought to emigrate, and
there are those who ought not; and as great and serious
mistakes have been committed from a want of correct information on the subject, it is considered of importance to
describe briefly each class of persons.
Those who ought to go.—America being a growing coun*
try and'a land for labour and industry, the poor industrious labouring man, with a wife and two, three, or more
sons and daughtersfitfor labour and of sober habits, would
do well to emigrate. Sober habits are indispensable, for
otherwise, spirits and beer are so cheap in America, (good
whiskey being only one shilling per gallon,) as to induce a
gradual but ruinous tendency. A labouring man and his
two sons, for instance, may earn 18s. per week each,
making together £2 14s., whilst the common necessaries
of life are generally less than half the price paid for them
B

8

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

in this country. This amount brought to a careful wife,
would, at the end of a year or two only, place the poor man
and his family almost above the world's perplexities; and
his table would be plentifully supplied with such necessaries of life as he probably never before had the privilege
of enjoying. This description of persons, as well as some
others of a similar class, are the objects of the author's
anxious care and regard.
The labouring mechanic, too, with a family of the like
description, in consequence of wages being higher in
America than those of a similar class of labourers in this
country, would also be a fit subject for emigration. But
all parties are earnestly cautioned against taking out
families of small children, as, of all things, especially in
travelling, they will be found the most burdensome and
distressing.
Those who may go.—The active trader or dealer: but
he will probably not find an immediate improvement in
his circumstances, as it will take him some time to become
acquainted with the practices and chicanery of traders in
America. He most probably must purchase his knowledge of trading and dealing by a few mistakes and losses;
but after he becomes initiated, he may succeed as well as
his neighbours, and infinitely better than in this country;
the profits on all trades being about double, whilst family
or housekeeping expenses will be found to be less by one:
half than in England.
To the individual who has a small pension, orfixedincome, which will not comfortably provide him with the
necessaries of life, emigration would be highly desirable;
and also to many others under similar circumstances.
Those who ought not to go.—Those who can get anything like a good living at home—the poor gentleman—
the idler—the tipler—these, and similar characters; are
very unfit subjects for emigration to America, or, in fact,
to any country where labour and industry are the only
guarantees to success, and where its inhabitants are a
plodding, industrious, and "go-a-head" description of
individuals.

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

9

ARRANGEMENTS EOR THE PASSAGE—

Expenses, Provisions}fyc.—GardenSeeds and Fruit Trees
to be taken out by a Gardener, fyc.
When any one has made up his mind to emigrate, the
first thing should be to count the cost, in doing; which it
will be necessary for him to ascertain the price of his
passage across the Atlantic Ocean—about 2800 miles. In
addition to the passage-money, the sum of about 4s. 2d.
sterling, or 5s. Quebec currency, for each adult, and about
one-hali that sum for each child, must be paid to the captain, (for which he is answerable at Quebec,) for defraying
the expenses incurred by sickness amongst the passengers,
for whom there is a hospital; or regular medical establishment, provided at Grose Island, which will be alluded to
hereafter.
London and Liverpool are the principal ports in this
s
country for emigration. Steam vessels sail, from these
ports every week in summer and twice a month in winter,
and large line-of-packet ships almost every day throughout
the year, for New York and Eoston. The charge in the
steam vessels for cabin passage and board is £25, and in
the liners £20,—steerage from £4 to £5, in the latter the
passenger boarding himself, having the use of the fire for
cooking. But there are other ports from which merchant
ships, principally in the timber trade, sail during the spring
and summer months, to Quebec and other places in North
America, in which the passage-money charged is generally
under £3 : and should a family, or a company of friends
or neighbours, emigrate together, the cost to each individual may be considerably reduced by contracting for the
whole. This latter plan is earnestly recommended, when
practicable, not merely on the score of economy, but for
their mutual assistance to each other during the voyage;
as the exercise of neighbourly customs and kindnesses
will add much to their comfort.
' It will be of some importance to select a berth where
there is light and ventilation, and as near the middle of

10

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

the ship as possible, where the motion is always the least
perceptible. It is advisable* also, to choose a ship which
takes out the smallest number of passengers; as the
nuisances caused by the over-crowded state of emigrant
ships have, not unfrequently, engendered fatal diseases.
Having made these arrangements, it will be necessary
to procure bedding, provisions, cooking utensils, and a
little medicine. The cooking and table utensils should be
the most simple and useful, made of tin, and in quantity
according to the circumstances of the emigrant. The
provisions should, by all means, be sufficient in variety,
the^ time occupied on the passage being very uncertain,
averaging from four to six weeks, and not unfrequently
extending to eight weeks. The stock for each adult ought
to be, at least, as follows :—•
Biscuit
about 601b.| Butter
71b.
Salt meat
25
Hour
6
Some dried fish
Rice
3
Potatoes
30
Oatmeal
2
Tea
U Onions
4
Coffee
'0i Eggs
doz. 2
Sugar
7
Spirits
quarts 2
Medicine.—2 oz. Epsom salts, 2 oz. castor oil, \ oz.
Turkey rhubarb, and 2 oz. ground ginger.
The spirits may be purchased from the captain cheaper
than on shore, but should not be used except in cases of
necessity or as medicine. There are many other small
articles which would be found useful, should it be convenient to the emigrant to purchase them. About £2 5s.
will, however, purchase the stock above enumerated,—if
judiciously laid out.
Passengers seldom feel much inclination for eating
during the first week on board; some suffer much from
sea sickness, and make use of very little food during the
entire voyage; whilst others feel but little inconvenience.
As the emigrant leaves " the lessening land," and passes
over the "trackless deep," a medley of feelings and sensations will naturally occupy his mind: he will feel that he
is parting from his associates and friends, and from those

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

11

endearing ties and circumstances of his childhood, the comforts and enjoyments of which he was not before aware of,
for the true value of friendship is never properly estimated
until it becomes lost for ever. These observations are not
designed to intimidate or to create unpleasant feelings,
but merely to forewarn the emigrant of what will occur
before he leaves his country, that he may not regret his
departure, as thousands have done when it has been too
late.
It will be well to provide as much wearing apparel as
possible, it being both better and cheaper in this country.
A mechanic should take out a good set of tools, and a
gardener a good fresh lot of seeds : he would do well, also,
to take 'out some small fruit trees and strawberry roots.
The trees being small will be convenient for carriage : the
particular kinds are hereafter named. Heavy goods, glass,
crockery, &c, should not be taken, as they would be expensive, troublesome, and a great risk. If the gardener
intends to go as far as Buffalo (500 miles) on the States
side of Lake Erie, or as far as the Falls of Niagara, on the
Canada side, (nearly the same distance,) he would do well
to take the following trees, at a proper season:—
Peaches.—Royal George, Newington, Teton de Venus,
Early Purple, Noblesse.
Nectarines.—Newington, Roman, Scarlet, "White.
Apricots.—Moor Park, Roman.
Plums.—Orleans, Bonum Magnums, (red and white.)
Pears.—Bergamot, (both sorts,) Beaurre, (brown,) Chaumontelle, Jargonelle, Lady's Thigh, Catharine, Swan's Egg, Windsor.
Apples.-*-Ribston Pippin, Golden Runnet, Nonpareil,
Royal Russet, Juneting, Stubbard.
Cherries.—May Dukes, Early May, Morello, Biggurreau,
Harts, and Black Brandys.
Gooseberries.—Crown Bob, Roaring Lion, Astons, (red,)
and a few best yellows, whites, and greens.
Strawberries.—Carolina,£eans, Seedling, AlpinePine Apple.
Grapes.—Black Hamboro', Black Portugal, Black Prince,
New Sweet "Water, Royal Muscadine, Mus*
cat of Alexander,

12

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

With such new or improved sorts of fruit trees, &c, as
the gardener may wish.
As far west as the Palls of Niagara, peaches grow on
standard trees in orchards, and melons in the natural
ground; but a little more to the south-west, in the State
of Ohio, from one to two hundred miles, they are so plentiful that: peaches may be had for one shilling per bushel,
and melons at one penny each, and they are frequently
given to the hogs. Peaches originally grew wild in
America, and they are now mostly of a small and inferior
description, but they have been improving for several years
past, so that some good sorts may be expected. There
are no nectarines. Apples, too, are generally very good
and plentiful. Pears, plums, and cherries not so much so.
Strawberries are generally of the wild kinds ; but they are
also improving. Gooseberries do not answer very well,
except in some particular soils; but red currants and
raspberries bear most abundantly.

VOYAGE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN—

The River St. Lawrence, Sfc, to Quebec—Arrival at Quebec— Landing—Description and directions—Taking of
the garrison by General Wolfe—Monument to Ms and the
French, General's memory—-Remarks on the monument at
Queenston to the memory of General Brock—Market, fyc.
After being two or three weeks at sea, the passenger
will feel great anxiety about reaching tfye place of destina-?
tion. On the voyage to Quebec, the first American land
generally seen is the Island of St. Paul's, on the south
side of the Gulph of St. Lawrence, about 500 miles from
Quebec, which terminates the passage across the Atlantic
Ocean. About 80 miles above St. Paul's is the Island of
Anticosti, about 125 miles long and 30 broad. Shortly
afterwards the River St. Lawrence is entered, 'several
islands are passed, and, in fine weather, numbers of white

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

13

houses may be seen on the left bank of the :river, occupied
by old and new settlers. About * 30 miles from.-Quebec'is.Grose Island, before named, where ships are detained and
an inquiry instituted as to the health of the passengers
and crews, and where the sick are generally landed. At
this place, in the Spring of 1848, no fewer than 173 emigrants, chiefly destitute Irish, died from malignant fever,
engendered on ship-board, from being over-crowded during
the voyage, and from indolent and filthy habits. It is,
therefore, of vital importance to observe the most strict
rules of cleanliness and order during the passage.
About 15 miles onward, on the right or north side, is
Montmorenci, the waterfall of which is imposing and
beautiful, its descent being about 240 feet. On a further
approach, a most deHghful landscape opens to view: the
town of Quebec is seen on a promontory towards the river,
and above it, on a loffcy precipice, a strongly-fortified garrison, in which is an armoury and equipments for 20,000
men.
The river at Quebec is only about half a mile wide, ^(perhaps the narrowest part,) where, and for miles up and down,
it is crowded with vessels of all descriptions. Across this;
part, and immediately opposite Quebec, is the town of.
roint Levy - and ferry, from which steam-boats and others
are constantly plying without any restriction. By this
means abundance of agricultural and other producers
brought to Quebec. In the winter season the communication is kept open on the ice.
The emigrant will now be preparing for landing and
commencing a new era in his life in what is generally called
the New World. On landing, he will not he so. much
annoyed by those troublesome pests from inns and boarding-houses as at New York. He must look around and:
choose for himself; taking care to agree about the price,
which varies according to the accommodations. About
the landing places and wharfs a number of boarding-houses
may; be found to suit the pocket of the labourer; and
higher up in the town more expensive inns and other accommodations may be had to suit others in better circumstances. J
,
.
£

14

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

Although the object of the present work is to assist the
emigrant m accomplishing his purpose and ultimate welfare,
it will be necessary, nevertheless, to give him some information respecting the localities he will have to visit: not,
however, a topographical nor statistical history and detail of
all the institutions and establishments, but merely a brief
sketch or account of them.
To traverse the streets of Quebec, from its mountainous
position, will be found rather a troublesome and tiresome
task to the stranger. Some very lengthy and circuitous
routes or roads are made for the accommodation of carts,
carriages, &c, whilst the foot passengers are provided
with steps or stairs to cross the streets. The ground on
which the buildings stand adjacent to the river and on the
wharfs, except so much of the latter as have been carried
out by piers, has been cut out of the skirts of the rock at
the foot of the garrison, forming a precipice like the side
of a wall. Erom these precipices many pieces of rock have
from time to time fallen, destroying life and property.
The officers and others connected with the government,
military, and other institutions and offices, libraries, insurance offices, &c.j the military and civil officers, and merchants and traders, form a population of genteel society,
which, with a respectable display of shops in the ujDper
town, where business is conducted on a liberal footing,
tend to give the city an appearance of business and importance. The suburbs of St. Eoque and St. John are
also regularly built, and contain a large population. A
considerable portion of this district was some time ago
destroyed by fire, being mostly built of wood; but it has
since been rebuilt with brick and stone.
The religious establishments are the cathedral, a spacious and handsome edifice, (the bishop's residence and
others being adjacent,) and many protectant dissenting
places of worship of neat architecture. The Roman Catholic Cathedral, now in course of erection, cannot be surpassed in magnificence by any other building, in point
of architecture and internal grandeur. Besides the old
cathedral, which is handsome, and capable of containing
nearly 4000 persons, there are several smaller churches.

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

15

Although their religious ceremonies and restrictions are to
many persons highly objectionable, their nunneries are
most useful institutions: their objects and practices are
the most charitable, and much benefit is derived from them
hj the distressed and destitute of all religious persuasions,
without distinction as to sect or creed,—a, worthy example
to some of our exclusive and narrow-minded Protestant
religious institutions.
Society at Quebec is of a motley description, consisting
of Canadian Erench, who retain their language, original
habits, prejudices, and the Roman Catholic religion;
English Canadians, English and other European emigrants,
with some amalgamations. The French manners are lively
and polite; their village amusements and entertainments,
though apparently gay, are nevertheless modest, and conducted with rural simplicity; and few persons probably
spend their leisure time more happily. The common and
most-to-be4amented evil is the lack of education among
the humbler classes of society, and for which the priests
are wholly blameable. They will neither afford the people
this important benefit, nor suffer any Protestant to instruct
them; so that, by an imprisonment of the mind, they are
doomed to dark superstition and ignorance.
The garrison is vulnerable onry from the Heights of
Abraham, which adjoin the city on the west side. General
Wolfe, who was appointed to the command of an expedition against Quebec in the year 1759, after effecting a
landing with his troops in the night at Wolfe's Cove, an
inlet about a mile above the city, mounted the rugged and
steep hills, and formed his army on Abraham's Plains at
day-break on the morning of the 13th of September, to
the astonishment of the Erench general. The Erench
commenced the attack, for which the English waited
and reserved their fire. The English charged, and
although the enemy were garrisoned and in superior
force, they were defeated and forced to capitulate on
the following day. The English took possession and the
Erench troops were sent home. Thus, in a few hours,
the whole of the Canadas fell into the hands of the
British,—possessions which the Erench had been labour-

16

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

ing to maintain during several centuries, under the greatest privations, in subduing the various Indian tribes. The
conquest was, however, dearly bought, by the death of
General Wolfe, who, having been told of the victory after
he had received a mortal wound in the body, exclaimed,
in the agonies of death, " I thank God, and die contented."
In the action, the Erench Commander-in-chief, General
Montcalm was also slain. In Quebec a monument stands
to the memory not only of General Wolfe, but also of the
French General, who was a brave man, and who, it must
be allowed, did infinite credit to the honour and generosity
of the English feeling.
The case differs very much, however, respecting the
monument erected at Queenston to the memory of General
Brock, who defeated and drove back the American invaders,
and who nobly fell in the defence of his country: that
monument the Americans have attempted to blow up and
destroy; and it is so disfigured as to render it necessary
to be taken down and rebuilt, for which a subscription has
been entered into.
The market of Quebec is mostly in the. open air, and
is plentifully suppled, from the surrounding country, with
everything but fish. It is held principally on Saturdays,
but it is open every working day. The jargon of Canadian
French and broken English,—the motley group of customers, comprising Erench and English Canadians, emigrants
of all descriptions, officers, &c, cannot fail to attract the
stranger's attention. There is also a market in the lower
town, near the landing place, not so well supplied, but
where fish may be had of inferior quality.
Quebec will be found to contain loiterers and labourers,
who will leave little employment for new comers. The
mechanic, however, may find some work, providing he will
accept an engagement at reduced wages; and, should his.
circumstances require it, it may be good policy for him to:
do.so for a while, to enable him to recover himself, and to
look forward for something better.

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

17

JOURNEY TO MONTREAL—

Description of its location and
soil—Market-—Religious
establishments—Shipping, Merchandise, Sfc.
Should the emigrant not meet with the object of his
pursuit in Quebec, he should immediately proceed towards
Montreal. He has the choice of two routes, the one by
steam vessels on the river St. Lawrence, and the other by
canal and land carriage. The former will be preferable,
as he will be conveyed direct to Montreal, the seat of
Government. The settler with moderate pecuniary resources, as well as the poor emigrant, should endeavour to
locate near to-a thriving town: by judicious purchases, the
circumstances of the former will improve more rapidly
with the growth of the town than by any agricultural
schemes or projects; and the industrious labourer will
have a better chance of profitable and constant employment, as he will have the choice of both town and country.
Montreal, not merely from being the seat of Government,
but from its local and advantageous mercantile position,
rivals Quebec; and its increase of population is, consequently, more rapid. The land, too, begins to improve,
and in consequence of its position being a degree more to
the south, its productions are superior to those of the
neighbourhood of Quebec, and the winters are a little more
moderate.
The market is well arranged, the building admirably
adapted to its purpose, and it is abundantly supplied with
almost every agricultural production. The vegetable and
fruit market prove the superior soil and cultivation of the
vicinity: but the fruit is not wholly the produce of Montreal, the best being brought from the south-west.
The scenery around Montreal is picturesque and beautiful ; its harbour and wharf accommodations are admirably adapted even for the largest ships; and its public
buildings and institutions are well constructed and of
handsome architecture. The religious establishments are

18

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

conducted on tolerating and liberal principles, and the
edifices are noble. The Canadian French, as at Quebec,
are a numerous body, and their Roman Catholic churches
are beautiful buildings. Their largest cathedral, which
was completed in 1829, is truly grand: it has seven chapels
within its walls, and the whole is supposed to be capable
of containing 10,000 persons. There are also several
other smaller Eoman Catholic places of worship. The
English Protestant religious establishments are respectable
but not numerous. The Episcopal Church is handsome,
spacious, and its architecture modern. The Scotch Church
is neat and respectably attended. There are also many
dissenting places of worship. The General Hospital, which
is considered to be under the best possible regulations and
order, is of the utmost benefit and importance.
JOURNEY TO KINGSTON—

Climate—Dock Yard—Going through the Rapids—Delightful Sceneryt fyc.
Should the emigrant have failed in finding employment
to his satisfaction, he ought to proceed to Kingston, about
190 miles distant. Before steam navigation was established,
the ordinary method for conveying the labouring classes
was by canal boats, about 50 tons burden, through canals
and rivers, forming a very long and tedious route, which
travellers are advised not to adopt.
A little to the westward of Montreal the Canadian
French begin to decrease in numbers, and the European
settlers to increase. The western colonies having a gradual
inclination towards the south, the climate becomes more
temperate, the air more salubrious, and the soil more level
and productive. These circumstances will naturally create
in the mind of the Canadian settler a desire, like that of
the Yankee, for " driving west,55 notwithstanding the fact
that Montreal and the neighbourhood possess considerable
advantages to the settler,—more, indeed, than have been
ascribed to it.

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

19

Kingston is situate at the commencement of Lake Ontario, and was formerly tne capital of Western Canada.
From its canal and other water approaches; its intercourse
by steam and other mercantile vessels with Toronto, Hamilton, Niagara, Queenston, and other towns west; and
having on its side the government dock yard for building
large ships of war, it is rapidly increasing in importance.
In going from Montreal to Kingston by a steam vessel,
tne traveller ascends the rapids, through the waves and
foam, and through the various windings and turnings
among the thousand islands, as they are called. The number may appear to be large, but they have been found to
comprise more than a thousand. They vary front the size
of a very small house to many acres in extent, and though
rocky, are covered with shrubs and trees; forming altogether the most picturesque and romantic sight the traveller ever beheld.
JOURNEY TO TORONTO-**

Market—Military and other establishments — Hamilton^
description of, and business in general—Bundas.
If the emigrant has not yet found the object of his
travels, let him move on to Toronto, formerly called York,
which is about 180 miles above Kingston, by Lake Ontarioj and about 40 miles below Burlington Bay, which is its
head. Toronto has very lately risen to a town of great
business with all parts of the Lake, and, through the St.
Lawrence, with all parts of Europe. It has a spacious
and convenient market, lately erected, (independently of
the old one,) which is well supplied, and where fish is
more plentiful than at the lower towns. The military and
other public buildings, offices and establishments, are
numerous and convenient. The Established Protestant
Church is handsome and spacious. There are several
other churches and many dissenting chapels. The Homan
Catholic places of worship are not so elegant as those at
the lower towns, the proportion of Erench Canadian in-

20

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

habitants not being so great. The streets are spacious
and laid out at right angles. There is, also, a handsome
college, surmounted by a dome; and a portion of the
building is used for the purposes of education.
The harbour is formed principally by a long pier, or sort
of wooden peninsula, stretching out into the lake, and enclosing a small bay or basin for the safety and accommodation of vessels. Here there appears to be plenty of employment for all mechanical and labouring classes.
The next route, should the traveller find it necessary to
move on, is to Hamilton Bay, by steam-boat, distant about
40 miles. This town, too, has risen most rapidly in buildings and trade; and the land surrounding is generally good.
Shopkeepers and tradesmen appear to succeed; and mechanical labour is high in price and in great request.
Public offices and buildings have not yet attained the importance and magnitude of those of the lower towns and
cities. There is, however, a handsome Established Protestant Church, built of wood; a Presbyterian and other
places of worship; a good market; and a town-hall, for
transacting public business. Its population is from 6000
to 7000.
Burlington Bay is completely enclosed, and the distance
from its entrance to its head is about five miles: at the
latter place there are wharfs for communication with Hamilton, from which place they are situated about a mile.
This bay was formerly nearly separated from the lake by
a bar of land extending across, through which, however, a
canal has been cut for the passage of schooners, steam
vessels, &c.
Immediately adjoining and on the north side of Hamilton
is a chain of high mountains, which stretch along from
east to west. Looking down from the top of any of these
mountains upon Hamilton and the neighbourhood, which
is perfectly level, a most beautiful bird's-eye view of the
surrounding country presents itself; and on the top of these
mountains the land is again level, and, with little variation,
continues so throughout the entire range.
The town of Dundas, distant aboutfivemiles, is a small
place of some trade: it lies in a valley, and has a fine

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

21

stream of water running through it, capable of-driving
machinery and mill work, of which there are now some in
operation. Erom Hamilton to Dundas there is a good
macadamized turnpike road. About the neighbourhood of
Hamilton there are as good, if not the best roads in Canada. Independently of the above macadamized road,
there has been a plank high road made, together with a
foot road, stretching upwards of 30 miles west.

JOURNEY TOWARDS N E W LONDON, DIRECT,

Or first to St. Catherine's, Thorold, Niagara, fyc, opposite
and near the American States—Instructions in journeying, fyc.
The settler will now have his choice, and may select his
location, being in the midst of a variety, in most of which
there is good level land. He may either proceed straight
west towards New London, by land, about 80 miles distant, through Brandtford and other towns, or proceed more
south-west towards St. Catherine's and Thorold, by land,
or to Niagara by water, distant between 40 and 50 miles.
New London is a rapidly-thriving town, with a military
establishment. Here mechanical and other labour of every
kind is in great demand, and the land in the vicinity is of
superior quality. A navigable river, called the Thames,
passes through this town, and the water communications
with Lakes Erie and Huron are circumstances of great
importance. The town of Brandtford, and several others
on the road, are in a thriving condition.
• Or, should the emigrant reject this route, by inclining
more to the south, towards St. Catherine's, Thorold, Niagara, and Chipawa, as above, he will not only be drawing
towards a milder climate, but he will be in a convenient
position for crossing over to the States, should he desire
to do so. Thorold, though small, is an increasing town,
in consequence of its being near to the principal locks of
the Welland Canal; from which circumstance, St. Cathe-

22

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

rine's, a much larger town, about five miles below, also
derives great advantages in its commerce. These locks
are very substantially and handsomely built, but it is much
to be regretted that they are not a few feet wider. The
town of Niagara, from its being the county town, has a
steady run 01 business, but its progress is slow in comparison with those places already described. It stands at
the point where the Niagara river falls into Lake Ontario,
and where Port George is situated, opposite to which is
the garrison, or large Port of Niagara, on the American
side. The wharfs at this place are a great resort for steam
and other mercantile vessels. About eight miles above is
Queenston, a small town of no considerable importance:
it is situated at the foot of a mountain, on which is erected
a monument to the memory of General Brock, who lost his
life in defeating the Americans, as before mentioned.
About ten miles westward are the Palls of Niagara, the
road by which leads to Chippawa, a small town about two
miles distant, and thence by Port Erie, about 16 miles,
which is situated on the margin of the river, nearly opposite to Buffalo, on the States side. Prom Queenston to
Chippawa the conveyance is by^ railroad, thence to Port
Erie by waggon, and from Chippawa to Buffalo, on the
States side, about 20 miles, by steam-boat.^

NEWFOUNDLAND—

Short description—Its advantages and importance to Fishermen and to the Mercantile Interests.
Newfoundland, of which the principal town is St. John's,
is situated about 800 miles nearer to Great Britain than
Quebec. It extends about 290 miles from east to west,
and about the same distance from north to south; the
south part being in about latitude 47 deg. north. The land
generally is by no means tempting to the agricultural
settler, although the improved parts near the town might,
by judicious management, be rendered profitable to the

EMIGRATION TO NOETH AMEEICA.

23

active and skilful gardener or farmer, &s tne inhabitants
are chiefly employed infishingpursuits. The staple production'of the sea banks and coast consists of a most
astonishing and inexhaustible supply of fish, which forms
the- source of very extensive and profitable employment,
as well as of immense mercantile traffic throughout Europe
and America, in which thousands have realised large sums
of money. Men, therefore, accustomed to fishing or a
seafaring life, may be certain of meeting with employment
through this source during the summer months.
The population of the Island has rapidly increased of
late years, especially from Ireland; and the mercantile
pursuits add considerably to its increase and prosperity.
It has been the practice many years for parties in the fishing trade to remain on the Island during thefishingseason
only, and to return home with their cargoes; but of late
both merchants and labourers have found it to their interest to remain, as more comfortable and convenient
accommodations are now afforded. As the Island does
not produce sufficient food for its consumption* during the
winter season which is severe, agricultural productions
are a little dearer than at Quebec or New Brunswick. A
passage out may be procured at London, Liverpool, Dartmouthy or Jersey.
It will not be necessary to draw the emigrant's atten*
tion to a northern route through the Canadas> as he will
find it cold enough in the south.

LANDING AT NEW YOBK—«

Instructions-—Currency, 8fc.—Banking System—Journey to
Albany—Crossing to Canada, if necessary—Observations
on Rochester3 Buffalo,fyc—Journeyfurther West.
On the emigrant landing at New York, he will be beset
and annoyed oy a body of men who are employed by the
keepers or inns and lodging-houses; whom he must carec

H

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

fully avoid; but should he find it necessary to remain in
the; city for a short time, he can inquire at some private
house or shop for respectable lodgings, to suit his means
and circumstances. On making the agreement, he should
ascertain precisely what he is to be charged; and when.he
is about to pay, he must bear in mind that an English
sixpence in the States is called a shilling, and the dollar
eight shillings (about four English.) The dollar is divided
into halves, quarters, and eighths, and also into 100 halfpence or cents, called pence; but the eighth makes a fractional part which there is no small change to meet; this
together with a variety of foreign coins, puzzles the stranger, which the shopkeepers take advantage of. To obviate
this annoyance is to avoid the eighth, unless he can get it
at 12 cents.
The banking system was formerly carried on upon very
defective and rurnous principles: it has, however, been
much improved by legislative interference and regulations;
yet still there have been many instances where the law
has been evaded. To protect the public there is a periodical published, called "The Detector," which may be
found in almost every shop or place of business, giving a
statement of the pecuniary resources and condition of every
bank in the Union. (Eor the currency, see the table at
the end.)
There will be very little likelihood of the stranger finding employment in New York, the place being already
crowded with mechanics, labourers, and loiterers. He
must, then, shape his course westward, and embark on
board a steam-boat, by the Hudson river, for Albany, a
large commercial town, about 160 miles distant. The deck
fare will be about fLye or six shillings,findinghimself with
provisions. Here may be some chance of work, by inquiring at the seed shops if he is a gardener or husbandman, or among the masters in his trade if a mechanic, &c.
He may go on as far as Buffalo by canal-boat conveyance,
which is about 500 miles from New York, the time occupied on the journey being about a week, and the cost
about a. cent or one halfpenny per mile, , the passenger
•
jinding his own provisions; or he may go by railroad in

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

25

about: one day, at a little more expense. Should he be
desirous, of crossing to Canada, he may here do so to Montreal, a distance of about 240 miles, partly by steam-boat
but mostly by stage coach, rather an expensive and tedious
route; or he may cross from the ports further on • to
Kingston or Toronto, direct by steam vessel, which ply
daily, for about five to six or seven shillings on deck.
If the emigrant has not yet realised his expectations, he
can proceed to Rochester, the next town of commercial'
importance, where he will have a better prospect of success;
in fact, the further he travels westward the greater will be
his chance of meeting with employment. If unsuccessful at
Rochester or; the neighbourhood, his best course will be
towards Buffalo, also a large commercial town, which is
rapidly increasing in buildings and commerce.
The situation of Buffalo is most peculiarly adapted to
trade and commerce, more so, indeed* than any other inland town in the States^ being the medium of transit for
all descriptions of goods^ It is the inlet or depot for
almost all the western produce, and the outlet by transshipment into the Erie canal boats to New York. In like
manner it is the receptacle for all manufactured goods from
New York and other places east, for western export.
Independently of the large towns already named, the
traveller will, in his journey from New York, pass through
a number of towns and villages, at some of which-he may
meet with employment; and the masters of canal boats
are frequently commissioned to communicate intelligence
to strangers that will lead to it. The labouring man is
recommended, in the first instance, especially if his means
should be limited, to work for less than the ordinary wages,
not only for the sake of an introduction, but he would be
" going a-head," and at the same time improving his circumstances.
Some precaution is necessary' as to the certainty of the
real route of the boats, and the information given to
strangers. A most grievous instance of this deception was
witnessed some time ago at Cleveland, and which had been
practised, it was strongly suspected, by the master of the
boat. Some seventy or eighty Dutchmen or Germans had

26

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

been brought by the wrong route, and were landed oil the
wharf in the greatest distress and disappointment.
The emigrant's next course is west, by steam-boat, to
Cleveland, about 190 miles distant, in the eastern part of
the .State of Ohio, where, or in the neighbourhood, he will
most probably obtain the object of his pursuit. The town
is rapidly increasing in size and importance, in consequence
of its vast imports from the south-west by the Ohio Canal,
(300 miles long,) and the trans-shipments to Buifalo, besides
a great western and eastern traffic. The soil in the neighbourhood is of excellent quality, producing abundance of
peaches, melons, apples, cherries, currants, &c, though it
is subject to blight by late frosts, owing probably to its
close proximity to Lake Erie. The inhabitants are kind
and respectable, the locality extremely pleasant, and the
roads level and in good order.
On the opposite side of the river, or harbour, is Ohio
city, consisting of about two or three hundred houses, &c.
The land towards the river and lake is there low and flat,
where stagnant waters accumulate, causing a prevalence
of ague and fever, particularly among strangers : the former debilitates the frame for many months, and the latter
frequently proves fatal.
There still remains a very large field westward for the
settler's travels and choice, to which thousands of the
eastern Americans are drawing for new cheap land; and,
indeed, great numbers of English settlers are following
their example. Should the emigrant be inclined to move
in that direction, he ought to avoid settling in Toledo,
about 120 miles distant; it is a very unhealthy locality,
few persons visiting there without suffering, more or less,
from the effects of the climate: it is, nevertheless, a place
for making money by mechanics and traders who are fortunate enough to retain their health.
Now, there are Detroit and St. Clair, nearly the same
distance, both healthy and thriving towns : there is, also,
Milwaukie, a fast-increasing town, about 740 miles from
New York, and Chicago still more so, to the prairies of
which thousands of Yankees areflocking,where land is less
wooded and strong for all descriptions of crops, and where

EMIGRATION TO NOETIC AMERICA.

27

agriculture, consequently, progresses upon a most amazing
scale. In short, the best land may there be had for little
money, the one thing needful being manual labour, which
is in great requisition.

Travelling—Mechanical Labour—Hiring out and getting
Wages—Dutch and German character—Rules and cautions in purchasing Land—Yankee Farmers going West—
Comparative State of Prices of Produce in England and
America—Caution and Information to Young Farmers
going out—Fraudulent Practices of Proprietors in selling
Land.
In his perambulations in any town, the stranger will
probably take his meals at a boarding-house, for which he
will be charged sixpence each, or more atfirst-ratehouses.
It will be necessary for him to be very actively employed
during dinner, as it does not take the Yankee more than
four orfiveminutes to " get through." He heaps on his
plate all sorts of food at once, and, not troubling his teeth
much, " clears out," leaving the stranger in full possession
of the table. Sappers in America are unusual, and at
private houses dinners are very seldom cooked on Sundays.
Mechanical labour goes on rapidly. Old wooden dwelling-houses may "be seen moving through the streets from
place to place, and large brick buildings erecting in their
stead. A large house, consisting of a front shor> and;eight
or ten rooms, has been built, furnished, occupied, and in
full business in the incredible space of six or seven weeks.
In Cleveland, which has a population of about 12,000,
more than sixty sail of merchant vessels, consisting of
large steam-boats, brigs, schooners^ &c, were built and
launched in 1847 and 1848. Here the shipwright will find
employment at from thirty to thirty-five shillings per week.
The settler would soonfinda considerable improvement
in his circumstances and prospects by hiring himself, par-

28

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

ticularly if he should happen to have two or three sons
grown up and adapted for labour ; and if he has a careful
wife and a daughter or two willing to work, they may
find profitable employment. The wife may earn at service
from four to six shillings, and the daughters from two
to five shillings per week each, including their board. I t
may be good policy for the whole family to go out to work
for a while, and to put all their earnings into one common
stock. I n all their plans, this practice of earning and
saving should be followed up as closely as practicable. I t
will be necessary, and, indeed, of the greatest importance,
to be paid the full amount of wages every week, or to quit
the employ at once; and it will be advisable, even when
in work, to keep an eye around for some other situation,
especially for improvement.
Wages are frequently paid, especially in towns, partly
in cash and partly in " store pay," that is to say, in goods
from the shop, or by an order for goods on some other
person; if, however, they are for such articles as are really
wanted, the payment may be considered as good as cash^
with this difference, that the servant will be sure to pay
high enough for his goods. In England, if a master does
not pay his servant his weekly wages as it becomes due,
an application to a magistrate has the effect of compelling
him; but in the United States it is not so, as the defendant is allowed the means of such tedious procrastination
in coming to a settlement as tires out the complainant, so
much so that it is generally considered preferable to relinquish a just demand.*
The wages of the Dutch and Germans at home being
only about 2s. 6d. per week, out of which they have to
provide themselves with food, which is necessarily of the
poorest description, and who have lived under a rigid
government, generally emigrate m companies to America,
the " land of Goshen " to them when compared with their
own homes, and soon get themselves into employment, byworking at a lower rate of wages than the Yankees, which
has caused a great reduction in the price of labour. One
For the rates of wages, see the end.

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

29

of this class, who had just arrived at Buffalo, and who was
unable to speak a word of English, took a job of chopping
firewood out of a Yankee's hands. They are very industrious people; they hoard up their money, get all their
-paper money converted into hard cash, and send their
children about the boarding-houses to beg the scraps of
offal meat. They are utterly disliked by the labouring
Yankees, and, indeed, by all except those who employ
.them; yet they are, notwithstanding, truly faithful and
honest in their transactions.
In England the landed proprietor is generally considered
,to be a man of respectability and of some importance in
society; from him and the farmer the labourer obtains his
employment, and on whom he is dependant. It is, therefore, the natural desire of the labourer, as well as others
in better circumstances, to become landed proprietors also.
-How, no country on the face of the earth can afford such
•facilities for the accomplishment of this laudable object as
•the United States of America. The desire to possess
himself of this important acquisition as soon as possible
being, then, the emigrant's aim and ambition, he seeks for
information, and soon meets with some one who was once
in the same mind and circumstances as himself, but who is
now desirous of selling a great bargain! But the general
emporiums for these negotiations are the land: agents'
offices, where therfc are hundreds of thousands of acres on
•sale, principally of "wild land/' covered with trees,; at a
remote distance, which may be purchased at from four to
seven shillings per acre. Eor that which is under cultiva-^
rtion, with a wooden dwelling, &c, a much higher price
will be charged, according to its location and other circumstances. - Either a man of capital seeking:a landed
5
investment, or a poor labourer, (and there are fifty to one
of the latter class,) may gain some useful and much-needed
information; as the nature and course of things will be
found to be very different from those at home. Before
entering into any landed speculation, the emigrant ought,
by all means, to find employment of some description for
at least a year. By this course he will effect two. important and essential objects,—he will put money into his

30

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

pocket, and some practical knowledge into his head: for
if he should go too precipitately into the possession of
land, the chances are ten to one that he will have occasion
to repent. He may have heard and read many plausible
accounts; but, for a while, at least, he should pay no attention to them whatever. 3?or want of this precaution,
there are at this moment thousand who are "fixed," and
who would willingly but cannot retract.
It is the practice of the Yankee farmers in the east to
wear out their land without manuring, and when exhausted
to sell it with the "improvements," as they are termed.
They then go a thousand miles or more west, on new land,
which may be purchased for about four or five shillings
an acre, and which will bear very heavy crops for many
years without manure. Hundreds of families may be seen
journeying west for this purpose in their waggons, &c, at
the end or every summer. The settler is, therefore, cautioned against purchasing " improved" lands; but if he
has made up his mind to purchase, after having been long
enough in the country to acquire sufficient knowledge, let
him go west also, and as near to some new thriving town
as possible.
Persons of property cannot be cautioned too seriously
against going out hastily to purchase and improve land
as a speculation, as hundreds of persons have, to their sorrow) been ruined by unadvised enterprises of this sort.
As an instance, and for the sake of argument, it is only
necessary to state that beef, pork, and mutton may be
bought at ljd. per pound, indeed, sometimes for less, and
that agricultural produce is equally cheap, whilst the
labour to produce them is double the price of that in
England; so that upon an honest and fair principle of
reasoning, it would appear that it is better to pay high rents
and taxes in this country than to emigrate. But it may
be very truly remarked, that the farmers are fast increasing in numbers in America, whilst farms are not; and
hence the necessity for establishing new farms, or, in other
words, for opening sources of employment for the labouring population.
I t is very laudable and praiseworthy for young farmers

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

31

to be anxious to be employed, and especially to have farms
of their own to manage. In America there is a large
scope for their enterprise; but they may rest assured that
in America they must not expect to keep riding horses for
their pleasure, as they do in England: they must be prepared to toil, labour, and sweat by the side of their workmen, late and early, or otherwise they had better remain
at home and do the best they can.
There is another fraudulent practice to be guarded
against, in the purchase of land from individual proprietors.
It is not an unusual circumstance for a purchaser, after he
has paid his purchase-money, and taken possession of his
land, to be called upon by a mortgagee who has a lien
upon the estate,—a matter often previously preconcerted
between the seller and his friend. A transaction of this
description occurred a short time ago near Buffalo. The
purchaser was an Englishman, who,; after paying his purchase-money in full, had a second claim made upon him by
a morgagee : being swindled out of his cash, he was obliged
to give up the estate, and take a passage for himself and
family for England, leaving the country in disgust.
There are, however, Government Register Offices, both
in Canada and the States, for registering all kinds of conveyances and deeds of land transactions, to which any
person may have recourse on paying a small fee, a precaution indispensably necessary in purchasing of individual
proprietors. In Government or Land Gompany transactions this precaution is not necessary.

Qualities of Soil—Manure—'Distance from Market—Choice
and quality of Land—Mode of Farming—Food of Animals, fyc.
The next point for consideration and investigation is the
quality of the soil, for on a piece of 100 acres only there
may be several qualities: so many as three kinds have been
found on two acres. The best quality is that which has
about one foot of black or dark brown decayed vegetable

32

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

mould, with a fine deep-brown loam underneath. If the
top soil is of sufficient'depth it will be of no importance if
the bottom is clay, as it may be sub-soiled and allowed to
remain rough under a winter's frost. Tins, with good
management, especially by alternate crops and intervals
of rest, will continue to produce well for several years
without manure. After having raised crops for a year or
two, however, manure will give health and strength to the
soil: but its use is objected to by some farmers on account
of the seeds of numerous weeds which are brought from
stables and other places where manure is usually deposited.
It is a most extraordinary fact that many farmers have
such large heaps of manure in and about their barns and
stables, which have been suffered to accumulate from year
to year from their cattle, that they are puzzled to know
how to dispose of it, and actually cart it out of their way.
It is said that the quality of the soil may be known by
the quality of the trees growing upon it; but there is a
difference of opinion upon this point. The best test is the
spade or mattock: and the settler should take care to
avoid coarse, sandy, or gravelly soils, or low swamps.
The distance of a market for the disposal of the produce
is a necessary consideration. It should be within a convenient day's journey in going and returning; it might as
well be at double the distance, or more, provided he can
purchase the land proportionately cheaper in consequence.
It is not advisable for any one to purchase land in the
eastern part of Lower Canada or of New York; as the
winters are so long and severe, especially in the east, as
to impede the settler's exertions. In the west, however,
particularly as it inclines to the south, and where the land
is more fertile, he may stand a better chance of success.
Now, the mode of farming in America, for the foregoing
and other reasons, is very different from that adopted at
home. In ploughing a broad thin swarth, from 12 to 18
inches is mostly their practice. This is run over to the
amount of two or three acres per day, left to lie a little
while, and then roughly harrowed, not one farm in twenty
having a roller; whilst an acre welLploughed at home is
considered a good day's work. In America the practice

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

33

of reaping, or mowing more properly called, is with a light
scythe, having a slight frame attached to the handle above,
called a cradle, with which,from two to three acres a day
are taken down. Sometimes the grain is put into sheaves
something like those in this country, and sometimes it is
allowed to dry on the ground, similar to barley, and then
carried into the barn or stack. The stacks are seldom
thatched, the top part being so managed in laying on as to
carry off the rain. On small farms it is the practice to
tread out the grain with cattle, the flail being seldom used.
In the Sates, however, there are a number of thrashing
machines, one of which will thrash out more than 200
bushels in a day, very clean.
The sorts of; grain or grasses which should be selected
for cultivation will depend on the climate and the quality
of the soil. West of Montreal, Indian corn, or maize, may
be sown with success, and which in America is considered
to be of great importance. The. general method of sowing
it is to drop three or four grains together, with a few
pumpkin seeds, at about three feet apart, and continued
in a line throughout, leaving the same space between each
row, which, being covered by drawing a little earth over
them with a hoe,finishesthe work for the present. When
the plants are about a foot high, they are hoed up each
way, sometimes by a hand hoe and at others by a horse,
and thinned out, leaving about two or three in the hill.
When ripe, they are mowed and piled into small stacks,
and at the first convenient opportunity the ears are pulled
from the stalks, which generally bear one or two, and on
strong land there may be found three: this operation is
called husking. In scattered villages, where the grower
is short of hands, he furnishes an entertainment, called a
" husking bee," and invites his neighbours, who soon make
a finish of this otherwise tedious duty. In fact, whenever
any laborious work is about to be executed beyond the
strength of the farmer's establishment, this method is
practised.
'
^
Indian corn requires greater heat than any other, and
its crops .vary from 25 to 70 or 80 bushels per acre, according, to soil and climate. It is never veryfinelyground,

34

EMIGRATION TO NORTH} AMERICA.

and has a rough, unpleasant feel in the mouth when used
alone, but when sifted and mixed with sound wheat flour,
it makes very good sweet-flavoured bread. Cattle, hogs,
poultry, &c, are fed on it, and the stalks are used for
rough fodder during winter. By sowing it broad cast in
the southern parts, about the middle of June or beginning
of July, it will grow about three or four feet high, in sufficient time for mowing and stacking, and will be found a
very heavy and profitable crop for fodder in winter, very
much superior to the hard dry stalks which have borne the
ears, and will well repay the farmer for his labour.
Wheat is sown and sought after by all parties, and
always brings ready cash. In the lower parts of Canada,
spring is a preferable season for sowing to autumn, in consequence of the very long and severe winters. The spring,
however, in North America, being short, and so much
farming work requiring to be done at that time of the
year, it is advisable to do as much of the rough ploughing
and other preparatory work in the autumn as possible,
especially as it gives the land a kind of winter fallow,
which, with the severe frost and snow, pulverises and
brings it into a better condition for cropping; and the
autumns are generally very fine and desirable for the
purpose.
Barley in some seasons is a failure, especially in the
States; the spring being of such short duration as not to
allow sufficient time to mature the grain before the hot
season sets in to parch it; and> as a natural consequence,
the grain is very small. But some good crops have, nevertheless, been raised in various localities, particularly about
and above Toronto; but the land for this purpose must be
good and well manured. There are three sorts,—the long
two^rowed, the four or square bear, and the six-rowed.
Oats are generally a better crop, and more commonly
sown.
Buck wheat is sown in June by almost every farmer.
Good family cakes are made from it, and it is excellent
food for poultry.
Swedish turnips are generally grown for cattle; but
many other descriptions are sown, all of which succeed.

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

35

Mangel wurzel is not much in use, but the soil is well
adapted for it.
The principal grasses are Timothy, red clover, and trefoil : the former is in general use, being of a hardy kind,
and capable of enduring the severest winters. Clover is
in common use. Trefoil not so general.
The hardy drumhead or flat pole cabbage, the rootabago
or Swedish turnip, and the mangel wurzel, if drawn up
before the frost and covered well with straw on a dry piece
of land, will be found to answer well all the early part of
the winter, but they will not keep well throughout. The
best method for preserving the late kinds of hardy cabbage
is to take them up with 'their roots, dig a deep trench on
a dry piece of land, lay a board or straw along the bottom of it, place the cabbages in it side by side with their
roots upwards, taking care to keep the large outside leaves
close down to protect them from wet, exclude the air by
covering the whole closely up with soil, and they may be
taken out for family use in good condition throughout the
winter, and, in fact, until spring. Cabbages are not unfrequently kept in cellars and store places below the surface during the winter, but they mostly turn to a pale
yellow after storing for a month or two.
Of all the roots or green crops the most valuable is the
potato, which is a native of America, and to which the
Americans are partial; and it succeeds well, especially in
the northern cultivated parts. They must be planted early
in May, indeed, the early sorts in April, or as soon as the
first frost is gone out of the ground; and as soon as they
appear above the surface, a little soil should be drawn over
them to protect them for a short time against the chance
of frost. The early ash leaf kidney has been fully ripe, at
Ohio, about 700 miles westward of New York, at the end
of June. The large coarse sorts are good for cattle, and
bring heavy crops. It is the general practice to plant
potatoes in small hillocks, in each of which to put three or
four pieces, and round them up with a hoe, Eke the hills
of Indan corn. This practice originated from necessity,
as no drills could be made owing to the great numbers of
stumps of \ trees in the ground. In a wet season they pro-

36

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

duce abundant crops, especially in the drill. The hills
occupy a large space of ground, being fully three feet apart,
and the crops fall short of those in the drill, as 19 is to 24.
. Peas are well suited to the climate of the States and
Canada; but they should be sown early, otherwise they
will be prematurely scorched by the sun.
Kidney beans also thrive well, and are much used by
the Americans when dried like peas. The white Canterbury is the best.
I n rearing cattle, it is of the first importance to provide
a plentiful supply of fodder and good shelter for a longand severe winter, so as to bring them out in the spring
in good condition; for if they are allowed to be much
reduced, as is frequently the case, it will take most of the
following summer to restore them: indeed, hundreds of
them die for want of proper attention.
Animals generally are badly fed, especially hogs. Hundreds of thousands are fed on wash from distilleries, where
may always be seen from 500 to 1000; whilst others are
turned into the woods in summer to feed on nuts, acorns,
and other seeds of trees, and in the winter are brought
home and killed. Their fat is soft and oily, and their lean
so hard as to test a set of teeth. They feed well, however,
on Indian corn, or, what is better, milk and potatoes as a
beginning, and afterwards on peas and barley. Cattle may
be well fed by judicious management; as an instance, a
farmer at Hamilton, in Upper Canada, about 60 miles
north of the Niagara Falls, had an ox of the North Devon
breed, which weighed upwards of twenty hundred weight.

Crops in Farming—Curious accounts of Profits, by some
authors—Objections to the statements of such Profits—
Destruction by Insects, fyc.—How Property has been obtained and earned—Description of Destructive Insects, Sfc.
Many exaggerated statements have from time to time
been published of the crops and profits on farming in Upper
Canada and the States, which are calculated to deceive

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

37

and mislead the stranger. In giving such estimates it
would have been better to -under-rate them. In Murray's
history a return is given by Mr. Pergusson, who commences
by supposing a settler to be going out with £500; and
asserts that by farming, at the end of the fourth year, "he
will have £600 in his pocket, and his farm of 200 acres,
stock, and all paid for." On this assertion a writer observes, " Could this be realised, farming in Canada would,
indeed, be a mine of wealth; but the golden castle has
been assailed by Mr. Sherriff, and we 1
fear completely demolished." About the latter there'is very little doubt.
Many respectable and industrious men, from having read
such nattering statements, in the hope and expectation of
improving their circumstances and the condition of their
families, have cheerfully crossed the ocean, through its
troubles and dangers, and laboured in a foreign climate in
the hope of realising these golden expectations, but, alas,
in vain. Let Mr. Fergusson look into the face of such a
disappointed man, and he will there see the sad effects of
his misrepresentations. This is a serious subject to give
advice upon, and should be treated with a strict regard to
the truth.
There is, also, in the same publication another estimate
by Mr. Pickering, an experienced farmer in Canada, and
whose desire was, no doubt, to give a faithful and impartial statement. He commences with the assertion, that
"twenty acres of wheat, averaging eighteen bushels per
acre," whereas twenty acres are butfifteen,clear of stumps,
roots, &c, allowing nothing for the risk or failure of crops.
It is perfectly true that the new lands far west will produce
heavy crops, but the average in Canada or the States will
not justify Mr. Pickering's assertion: and with respect to
the failures of crops, an instance may be mentioned, i In
the beginning of May, a field of wheat in the State of
Ohio, measuring about twelve acres, was in fine condition,
and about a foot high; but in three or four days afterwards it was not worth a farthing, as every stalk was more
or^ less infested with worms, and the land had to be
ploughed up.
<
Mr. Pickering also gives a cash credit for the full amount

38

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

of the value of the corn and grain, and ttlso for 360 dollars
for thirty fat hogs, in thirty barrels, at twelve dollars each,
but says nothing about the cost of the barrels, salt, &c,
nor what the hogs were fed on, and which must have been
the growth of a former year i neither does he say anything
of the interest of the purchase-money of the farm, &c,
which ought to be considered as a rent, and deducted accordingly.
It may be asked, then, how is it that so much money is
to be realised in America ? Not by the present prices of
farming produce; but by the astonishing rise in the price
of land near to rapidly-thriving towns and neighbourhoods,
where hundreds of thousands of acres which not long since
were sold for about six shillings an acre, have and are still
realising from £20 to £500 an acre, and upwards; by
trade speculations and traffic, as the consequences of such
increase and improvements, and which are still carrying on
to an astonishing degree • by canal traffic, there being upwards of 2000 boats, from about 70 to 80 tons burden
each, on the Erie canal alone; and by a variety of other
circumstances.
There was a time, however, when farming produce
realised double its present return; but so long as the present tide of emigration flows into Canada and the States
for the purpose of farming, with comparatively so few
additional consumers, and the price of produce in Europe
remains at its present low ebb, together with such high
prices being paid for labour in America, it follows, as a
matter of course, that there can be no profitable return nor'
hope for improvement in the present price of farming produce. By steady industry and perseverance, however, any
piece of land will rise in value; if, therefore, the settler
can only retain his position for two or three years, by
hard labour he may improve his circumstances, but not
make his fortune.
The most destructive insects are called bug3, which
sometimes destroy all early tender vegetation: the most
mischievous is the smallest, about half the size of the fernweb, of the beetle species, with yellow stripes on its wings;
and there is a larger black one, nearly the size of the com-

EMIGRATION TO NOUTH AMEBICA.

39

mon black beetle, called the " big bug," which, with the
common grub, called the " cut-worm/' will destroy acres
of melons and cucumbers in a few days.
In the summer season the traveller will be much
annoyed with mosquitos; and the lower description of
lodging-houses swarm with red bugs. These places are
frequently over-crowded with inmates, several beds being
in one apartment; a practice which not only impairs the
health of the stranger, but, without proper care, frequently
tends to lighten his pocket.

General Instructions to the Labouring Man.
Suppose the case of a labouring man who has succeeded
in obtaining employment, but who has no money in his
pocket. If he has hired himself out as a servant, it will
either be by the week or by the year; if the former, at
about 18s.,findinghis own board, &c, or if by the latter,
at about £20, with board, lodging, &c, included. It is
probable he may not have any weekly employment during
the four winter months. In either case he will have £20
in his pocket at the end of the year, and, in the mean time,
a superior description of food to what he had been used to
at home. He will, therefore, do well to continue on for
another year, at the end of which he will have about £35,
having used a few pounds for necessaries, &c. Should he
continue in service another year, he will find his circumstances improving weekly, and he will have acquired,
what is indispensably necessary, a knowledge of matters
to which he was before a perfect stranger, and which
rendered him utterly unfit to pnter into any business on
his own account.
{Should the labourer now feel a desire to become a proprietor of land, with the practical knowledge he has acquired, together with the exercise of steady precaution and
care, he may now make the attempt, with every prospect
of success; He should not possess himself of -more than

40

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

fifty acres, as it would be a useless outlay of money, and
calculated to blight his prospects. After he is put into
possession, he must, in the spring of the year, quit his
yearly service and hire himself by the week until the winter
commences, provided he can meet with constant employment. This change will, give him an opportunity of working on his land through the winter, which is a good time
for the purpose; and he will have earned, in fact, as much
in the eight months as in the year. He will now have
entered on his wild land earnestly, and, with money in his
pocket, he will proceed cheerfully. In the course of the
winter he will have cleared and fenced about two or three
acres, ready for Indian corn and wheat, which should be
sown in the spring. This being done, he must return to
his weekly service, should nothing better offer itself. At
the end of the summer, in addition to his land, he will
have his weekly earnings in his pocket, and the produce of
three or four acres. He may then build himself a loghouse of four rooms and an outhouse, and proceed with
clearing about thirty acres, leaving the remaining twenty
for firewood, &c. As rough and expeditious work is
necessary, he must be diligent without, regard to neatness
in his arrangements.
Having discovered by experience that he can earn and
save more from weekly wages than by chopping and clearing, it may be good policy for him to contract with those
whose business it is to clear land at so much an acre, to be
agreed upon for the work. When the land is cleared, it
may be advisable for him to let it out for a crop, in shares,
whilst he continues earning money in service. It is a common practice in America to let land out to be worked in
shares: when the owner furnishes seed, cattle, plough, &c,
he has half the produce as his share, and where the
labourer provides these things, the owner receives less,
according to the arrangement. It is true that land may
be purchased by instalments: in some cases this mode
may answer very well, but generally speaking it is better
to pay the full amount at once. The settler should take
particular care at all times to keep his land and himself out
of debt, and not to enter into any engagements except

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

41

such as he can meet, without placing reliance or confidence
in any man.
Before, however, the settler decides upon farming
on his own account, believing that he is in possession of
sufficient funds for the purpose, he must consider the
amount of stock required, which will be something like
the following:—
£. s. d.
Two heifer cows, in succession of calving
, 6 10 0
Two young oxen and gear
12 0 0
One sow, in young
1 5 0
Oneplough
I...
2 0 0
One harrow
110 0
One roller (wood)
0 15 0
One cart, or what is called a waggon, having
four rough boards round the ends and sides,
and mounted on four wheels
9 0 0
One wheelbarrow
0 15 0
Axe, adze, mattock, shovel, spade, two hoes,
scythe, reap-hook, cradle for mowing wheat,
saw, two augers, hammers, gimblets, forks,
grindstone, bags, ropes, iron wedges, nails,
&c, &c
.
6 0 0
Seed wheat, Indian corn, oats, potatoes, grass
" , buck wheat, &c
"
3 10 0
£43 5 0
And an assortment of household furniture, according to
circumstances.
Having traced an outline of the poor labouring man's
best course, together with a general summary of the agricultural process adoped in America, it may be instructive
to point out the general practice pursued by those who
emigrate with a little money for the purpose of purchasing
land on a small scale, and then to draw a comparison in
order to show which party has the advantage.
The settler, then, with a limited amount of ready cash
has purchased 100 acres of wild land, for which he has
probably paid from five to six dollars an acre, thus becom-

42

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

ing a " landed proprietor," but he has, of course, reserved
some money for his support, in anticipation of a profitable
return for his labour. He walks abroad and surveys his
"domain," considering the most desirable site for his
dwelling-house, garden, &c, and, seizing his axe, he cheerfully " sings and hacks and hews," though it cannot be
expected that he is a "first-ratechop." He may be a great
distance from any convenient dwelling, therefore it will be
desirable, especially if he has a family, to get up a log
dwelling, merely tenantable, as soon as possible, with a
small garden attached. Now, supposing him to have been
very industrious, he may have cut down, trimmed, logged,
burned, and cleared about six acres in the year, and have
erected the shell and partitions of a log house. What,
then, is his actual position at the end of the first year ?
A moderate-sized shell, with partitions, &c, of a log house
is worth about 25 dollars, and the six acres of land would
be improved about 40, making altogether about 65 dollars.
Gn the other side of'the account, supposing he had hired
himself out to labour during eight months out of the year,
at four and a half dollars per week, being the lowest wages,
it is clear he would have earned 144 dollars, without having
had occasion to work so hard. The six acres, after deducting the space occupied by the stumps and roots of
trees, will not leave quite four and a half acres of cultivatible land, and must be fenced by rails to be split out
of logs about twelve feet long. But the purchaser will
find he is "fixed," and if his cash should become exhausted,
he will be compelled after all, as the only alternative, to
hire himself out, and for the present to abandon his land,
or to let it out in shares, as thousands have done, especially
those who have had gifts of government land. It surely,
then, will not require much sagacity or calculation, from
these statements, to decide which of the two parties is
most likely to succeed in agricultural pursuits.
These remarks, it is hoped, will not only operate as a
caution to the labouring man who has some little money
and who is about to emigrate; but if seriously considered,
and reflected upon, may be of infinite service to the settler
who has a desire for larger speculative investments.

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

43

In clearing land, the usual process is to cut down the
tree, leaving the stem about three or four feet from the
round, to cut off the limbs and branches, to log the tree
y dividing the trunk into eight or twelve feet lengths,
and to pile the whole and burn it. But it is better to
chop the roots, also, about four feet from the tree, which
will cause both to decay sooner, and the root will more
readily come out in ploughing. It has been the practice
to save the ashes and sell them, but for several years past,
in consequence of a discovery in chemistry, their use has
been in a great measure superseded, and they are, consequently, deteriorated in value. If kept in a dry place,
however, they may find a market at a reduced price, probably at about threepence per bushel; and for this purpose the hard kinds of timber are the best. Should there
be a saw-mill in the vicinity of the land, the proprietor
of it will return planks for the trees, which will' be found
useful and convenient.
When the woodman is about to fell a tree, it will be
necessary for him to observe which way it is likely to fall,
either from its natural bend or inclination, or from the
wind; but where a tree stands upright, an experienced
chopper can cause it to fall in any direction. Much care
will be necessary, however, as broken limbs and loss of
life have frequently resulted from a want of precaution. Instead of chopping down the trees at once, there is a practice
called girdling, which is to cut away the bark round the
trunks, about four or five inches broad and about three or
four feet from the ground, to prevent the circulation of the
sap, when, in course of time, they will rot and fall, and as
soon as they are dead and dry, to set fire to them: by this
means the boughs and brush are destroyed, whilst the
black trunks are only partially burnt, leaving an unsightly
appearance. In adopting this plan, it will be necessary to
cut a division through the adjoining wood of sufficient
width to prevent the communication of fire further than is
intended.
In clearing land, due regard is paid to the sugar maple
tree, which is much valued in America, as it affords an
ample supply of sugar both for family use and frequently

§

44

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

for market. The sap of this tree possessing strong saccharine properties, is easily converted into sugar by the
following process.
About the latter end of February or the beginning of
March, selecting fine weather, especially after a frosty
night, an incision is made in a tree with an auger or axe,
at a convenient distance from the ground, into which is
fixed a pipe or conduit for running off the sap into troughs
scooped out from short logs of wood. The sap is poured
into an iron boiler and placed on a fire which is made near
to the trees, and as it diminishes by boiling, more sap is
added, until it becomes a kind of molasses: more care and
attention in skimming is then required, until it becomes
sugar. It is then poured into small pans or moulds to
cool and harden, when it has the appearance of hard
brown sugar. The scum and dregs may be converted into
vinegar.
This process, however, frequently gives the sugar a
coarse brown appearance and an unpleasantflavour,which,
with better management, might be obviated. Now, the
sap in its natural state is clear, transparent, and free from
any unpleasant flavour, which might be preserved in the
sugar by simply boiling the sap in an inner vessel, made to
fit within the boiler, taking care to keep the outer vessel,
or boiler, properly supplied with water.
As there is not much farming work to be done at that
period of the year, sugar-making will pay very well, pro?
viding the settler can do the work with his own family;
but not but by employing labourers. Some persons prefer
it to common West India brown sugar, on account of its
flavour; and its price varies from 3d. to 5d. per pound,
according to the season and situation.
If a man has a wife and family, and is settled, it will be
to his interest to keep a cow. He may purchase one
from four to five hundred weight for about £3 or,£4, and
pasture it, as many do, on an adjoining waste or common.
When this is not practicable, the pasture will only cost
him one shilling a week. To ensure her return home in
the evening, it will be necessary to supply her with a little
fodder; for otherwise, owing to nefarious practices on the

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA,

45

part of evil-disposed persons, she might be lost. If cattle
are found straying on other person's lands, it is the custom for the land-owner to detain them and advertise them,
requiring the owner to release them by paying the costs.
In the western parts, the gates and styles are few and
rough, and in letting in and out the cattle a few of the top
rails of the fence are thrown off, and the cattle are forced
to leap over the lower ones: this is a great evil, as by
teaching the cattle to be breachy, they very frequently
take advantage of a bad fence, and range in the woods, to
the labour and vexation of the owner, who sometimes loses
them altogether.
EISH.
Fish is not very plentiful in Lower Canada, but above
Kingston there is a great variety, with which Toronto and
all the harbours and towns above, on both sides, are well
supplied. Salmon is very plentiful and large on the Onta^
rio. Higher up is the white fish, in great demand: it
resembles the English bream, which is caught on the
western coast of Devon and Cornwall, though a little
longer; and, being very plentiful, they are a great mercantile article all over the States, where they are mostly
caught. Eresh water herrings are also very plentiful,, but
not very good. The mullet, and the black, white, and
rock bas are shorter and smaller than the English saltwater bas ; trout are much larger than the English; pike
and pickerel; a largefish,the size of a large salmon, called
the masquinonge, much relished; the Mackinaw trout, a
large and excellent fish, caught in Lakes Superior and
Huron, weighing from 10 to 50 or 601bs.; and the sturgeon, also very large. The salmon, salmon trout, and
some others, are salted in barrels, in immense quantities,
and-are great articles of mercantile traffic all over the
States, in which there is great room for profitable speculation. Most of thefishingis by large scans adapted to the
purpose, a great portion of wnich is carried ou at Mackinaw and the neighbourhood.

46

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

GAME, &c.
Game is not so plentiful in America as might be expected.
The' deer is the principal, and is chiefly hunted by the
Indians, who, being expert with the rifle, will sometimes
return with as many as half a dozen after a day or two's
hunt. Moose deer are still to be found in New Brunswick, where the huntsman will seldom fail to kill one or
two in a day : partridges are also plentiful there.
Bears are seldom or ever seen in the vicinity of towns
or villages, as they avoid the presence of man. As population increase all wild animals decrease, or retire to more
remote regions.
The partridge, woodcock, and snipe are smaller than
the European breed, and are often killed in the neighbourhood of St. Catherine's and Thorold.
Hares (which are white in winter) and rabbits are not
very plentiful.
There are large partridges, which the Americans call
pheasants ; and, in the winter season, quails visit farms in
flocks, when they are shot and taken in traps. Their flesh
is very white ana delicate, much resembling that of young
chickens.
"Wild turkeys, very large and of a dark colour, are very
plentiful in some districts of Canada, and afford much
sport. Ducks, widgeon, and teal, of many kinds, are in
great abundance on the lakes and marshes, and there are
many other descriptions of wild fowl. Wild geese are in
great numbers on some of the upper lakes and marshes.
Sea gulls, of various kinds, are very numerous. Prairie
hens are in abundance on the prairies, about 2000 miles
above New York: they are easily shot and excellent food.
The wild pigeons, however, are the most extraordinary
birds as to numbers. They frequently assemble in millions,
and the air, for a great space around, appears to be filled
with them. They roost on trees at night, when as many
of them may be knocked down with sticks as can be carried away. In size and appearance they more resemble
the turtle dove than the domestic pigeon, being of slender
shape and handsome plumage. They are, however, of late
years on the decline.

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

47

INDIANS.
The North American Indian is a most extraordinary
character. As a nation there is, perhaps, none like them,
Their warlike propensities; their revengeful, brutal, and
blood-thirsty acts and devices of torture on their captives;
and the hardy defiance with which the poor miserable
wretches pass through their sufferings till death, are
altogether astonishing; but the most extraordinary and
revolting fact is, that the females join in devising their
acts of wanton torture and cruelty, and in them take the
greatest pride and delight. It sometimes happens, however, that one of thesefiendsmay take a fancy for a prisoner, when he is released on the condition that he joins
the tribe.
.Although they are, when engaged in warfare,, extremely
cruel and revengeful, they are, nevertheless, warm and
sincere in friendship and neighbourly kindness to their own
particular nation or tribe, for should a calamity happen,
whether from the effects of war, sickness, age, or from any
other cause, no one is allowed to want, as they hold their
necessaries of life in common.
Their perpetual and exterminating wars have so reduced
their numbers, that, although they were very numerous a
century or two ago, there are not now, it is supposed,
more than 20,000 in all the Canadas; and about 15,000
of them are in the annual receipt of clothing, implements,
and necessaries from the English government. Their supplies of food arise principally from hunting and fishing, of
which they are very fond, and those in the north procure
great quantities of furs for market. Their process of agriculture is very rude and simple, which is generally performed by the women, who, raise a sufficient quantity of
Indian corn, &c., for their wants. Their dwellings are
merely ground stories, covered with the bark of trees;
and their chiefs are allowed a plurality of wives, and have
great influence over their respective tribes.
It is generally believed that the Indians are a very hardy
race of beings, and that they endure exposure to the in-

48

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA,

clemency of the weather: this, however, is a mistaken
idea. In the winter season they are warmly clad in coats,
flannels, comforters, boots, &c. They can, however, endure great privations and abstinence.
Their superstitious notions and religious fancies are
extravagant; and they will not go to war without seriously
consulting the dreams of their chiefs. When war is determined on, the hatchet is thrown up into the air as a
declaration, and as a proclamation of peace it is buried.
The object of these wars generally is, by exterminating
the enemy, to take possession of their territory; but it
frequently happens that after many drawn battles, both
parties become tired, and they mutually withdraw. Their
mode of Warfare is to assemble in parties by night, when
they craftily steal upon small villages, and murder or carry
off their prisoners. Their weapons are the arrow or gun,
the tomahawk, and scalping knife; with the latter they
take off the skin and hair of the head as a trophy of war.
Their superstitious notions are rather dangerous to the
Europeans who reside among them, as their peculiarities,
from which there is no turning them, have caused many
missionaries to suffer most seriously. Their complexion is
brown, which they are proud of, and when whitened by
the cold, they stain the skin to their favourite colour.
Their hair is uniformly coarse black and straight, resembling the mane of a black horse, which may be attributed
to the influence of the north climate, as most of the Yankees residing there have hair of the same description.

REMARKS ON THE CAUSES OP EMIGRATION—

Government Gratuitous Emigration — Land CompaniesWinter Amusements,fyc—Mercantileand Political State
of the Colonies, Sfc.
In making these general remarks, the comforts and advantages to be mutually derived by persons from the same
neighbourhood associating themselves, together for the

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

49

purpose of emigrating, cannot be too forcibly recommended.
The causes of emigration are here also reiterated, with ai
few cursory remarks on each, namely:—1. Machinery and
engines, curtailing manual labour. 2. Small estates packed
into large ones, and the small farmers consequently turned
out. 3. Young farmers growing up, but no estates
growing up- for them. 4. Millions of acres of good land
laying waste and uncultivated. 5. The natural increase
of the labouring classes in greater proportion to that of
the rich.
1. Machinery and engines.—Although they have, without doubt, had the effect of superseding labour to a very
great extent, yet it must be borne in mind that the English
nation has had to compete with many rivals ; and had it
not been for her superior activity, her ingenious inventions,
and her consequent advancement in the arts, sciences, and
manufactures, combined with her natural resources, her
commerce would ere this have sunk, and with it all her
envied power and greatness.
2. -Small estates packed into large ones.—This is an
unwise, unprofitable, and injurious practice. If an estate
of five hundred acres be divided into five farms, it is
obvious that the rent would increase from ten to twenty
per cent., and that five farmers would be put into
respectable business instead of one, with double the
number of men and women employed: they, would, consequently, be better worked, and all those extra men
and women, with their families, probably relieved from
the poor-rate. The general objection to this plan, however, is the expense in erecting dwellings, &c, on each
division; but where there is unemployed capital, it cannot
be laid out to greater advantage in the present state of
its returns.
3. Young farmers growing up, hut no estates growing up
for them.—The packing of small farms into large ones is
clearly one reason why there are no farms for young
farmers; whilst a division of the land into smaller allotments would find employment for all.
4. Millions of acres of good land laying waste and uncultivated.—This is a most egregious and palpable error, and

50

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

calls aloud for prompt and immediate legislative interference, particularly with regard to Ireland.
5. The natural increase of the labouring classes in greater
proportion to that of the rich.—?-This is an acknowledged
fact, and mainly contributes to the present alarming extent of pauperism and misery in this country. Although
we read that 55 the increase of the people is the strength of
"
thes kingdom, yet we find the glaring anomaly that the
industrious labourer, the true source of wealth, is compelled to seek a subsistence in a foreign land. Thousands
emigrate annually from this country, and the number
would be far greater if the people had the means. Now,
" something must be done,55 as Bonaparte said when he
wanted to have his sick soldiers poisoned at Jaffa; but
what ? Certainly not to place them on a footing with
convicted felons, by transporting them to New South Wales,
the opposite side of the globe, at an enormous expense in
freight, &c, which appears to be the practice.
Now, there are government lands in Canada, a much
shorter distance, where the labourer might find employment, if judicious arrangements for the purpose were faithfully carried out. Many attempts have been made, but
which, having been improvidently arranged, and conducted
either ignprantly or selfishly, have proved abortive. Eor
instance, take the first step of these arrangements, which
was to grant an individual 200 acres of wild forest land,
with means of subsistence for about a year, without any
other means than his own labour for clearing and improving. In the name of common sense, what could an individual do with 200 acres of such land ? "What was likely
to be the consequence? In some instances, as long as
the provisions lasted, the work of clearing went on by
industrious individuals ; and others, whilst eatiag up
the supplies, abandoned the 200 acres for a while,
aiid hired themselves out to labour, in the expectation
of realising something by the probable rise in the value
of the land.
The easy and safe way by which the industrious labourer
in America may improve his circumstances, even supposing
him to be without a shilling in his pocket, has already been

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

51

pointed out; and in a similar instance to that just alluded
to, by industry, perseverance, and care, there would be
no greater dimculty.
With regard to the land companies and their speculations, much may be said pro and con. Monopoly is a
public injury, and a barrier to general enterprise and speculation. The only benefit in these monopolies is the
greater chance of road accommodation, without which,
land or farms would be almost useless; nevertheless, the
settler has to pay very heavily for these accommodations
in his purchases from land companies.
The public roads in America are beginning to be in tolerable good order, but the new or private roads, especially in
Canada, are frightful; and a few coarse boards or logs
over a river or watercourse is called a bridge. I n rainy
weather the wheels of vehicles are half buried, and in some
places travelling is out of the question. The frost and
snow, however, obviate all this, the latter being very desirable to travel on. The sleighs are called into requisition,
and journeying, both on business and visiting, commences
in good earnest. The jingling of the bells which are hung
round the necks of the horses to prevent accidents, are
everywhere heard as the sleigh softly and rapidly glides
over the snow; and there is a law levying a penalty for
using a sleigh without them. The cutters, as they are
called, (a small light sleigh, similar in form to a gig,) are
sometimes very handsome and furnished with buffalo robes,
and may be seen whisking about in style, in every direction,
especially in the vicinities of large towns.
As spring approaches, the thoughts of those engaged in
agricultural pursuits are employed in considering the most
speedy and effectual means of rendering its short period
available; and the most thoughtful and provident prepare
and do everything that can be done in the previous autumn,
when the weather is generally fine for such purposes.
The English emigrant will not be a month in America
before the aspect of things will seem strange and unpleasant to him; and unless the country whiqh he.has left has
been "too warm for him," he will long for home, "with
all its faults." He will see no green hedges adorned with

52

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

sweet-scented flowers; and, with the exception of some
Irish, Dutch, and Germans, there can be no doubt but that
few emigrants would remain a second summer if they had
the means of returning. If, however, a man with his wife
and family are living as they ought to do, their best home
is in any civilized country where they can procure the
greatest amount of the comforts and necessaries of life,
and make a provision for old age. The same reasoning
will apply to the case of any young man of enterprise,
whose prospects at home are not very bright, and whose
home affections are not too deeply rooted in him.
The mercantile state of the colonies is gradually improving west, but not so rapidly as in the States. Although
the Canadas have the fostering care and assistance of
England, and are afforded every facility in mercantile affairs,
and although the taxes are less than in the States, there is
a disaffectedness and disunion which operates against their
prosperity; the principal cause of which is probably owing
to so large a population of Canadian Erench, especially in
the lower towns of Quebec and Montreal, as, further west,
where they are not so numerous, a more cordial unanimity
prevails, and, consequently, prosperity.
With respect to the political state of the colonies, there
is, as has ever been between the Erench and English, a
national and habitual disagreement and prejudice, although
the conquered Erench are enjoying all the privileges of, and
are placed on an equal footing with, their conquerors. It,
therefore, requires no small amount of tact and policy,
tempered by a little patience and energy, to carry on
smoothly with such jarring and conflicting parties and
feelings. There are, also, great numbers of Yankee inhabitants in the colonies, who are quite likely to disturb
anything attached to the English government.
The prices of the common necessaries of life, and
also wages, are similar to those in the States ; but
the habits and manners of the people are more like the
English, and, by the importation of English subjects, the
latter will increase, together with English feelings and
attachments.

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

-53

AMERICAN CHARACTER, GENERALLY—

Their dislike to the English, and the causes—Borne sorts of
\ English characters who emigrate—Yankee Freedom-—
Slavery—Disgraceful Preaching to the Slaves — AntiSlavery Meetings in the North.
I t may be reasonably expected that some delineation of
the American character, and with which the emigrant will
have to become acquainted, will form a necessary part of
the present work. In this attempt, it may be premised
that natural home affections may influence or mislead any
one in such a delineation, however anxious he may be to
do Justice to all, although it is well known that there is no
nation or community without their peculiar customs, manners, and faults. The outline of American character here
attempted, however, is the result of seven years' travels in
that country, and it is freely given, without the hope of
praise or the fear of censure.
On the emigrant's first interview, he will probably be
accosted with " I guess you are from the old country ?"
and on being answered in the affirmative, his next observation will be, " I guess you have brought out a little
money ?" If he should receive a similar answer, he will
be guessing how to get at it, and he will be recommending the best method of investing it, his own interest
being his primary consideration. I n fact, if allowed, by
question after question he will pry into all your circumstances ; but if you find him to be too troublesome and
inquisitive, you may thank him for his kind inquiries, and
tell him that it is not customary in England to ask such
questions, by which he will discover his obtrusion.
The conceit and boasting of the Yankees is quite absurd
and ridiculous, and their notions of the English manners
and constitution rather amusing to an Englishman: but it
•will be prudent, however, for the emigrant to listen to
their remarks, and to cull from them so much as may be
<)f service to him in carrying out the object of his deter-

54

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

mination. He should avoid any warm argument or debatb,
and* by tempering his conversation and deportment with
milihiess and civility, he may promote his objects and
procure the information he may stand in need of.
Of all nations on the face of the earth, the English is
the most disliked by Yankees, although it is their " fatherland," as they call it, and although they have gained what
wealth they possess, and are still gaining, by their commerce with it. Now, it may be reasonably asked, how
can this be? In the first place, there can be no effect
without a cause. The English population of the States
was originally, for the most part, composed of convicted
felons: and as punishment is not agreeable, however just,
it produces dislike to the inflicter, which, in this instance,
has been handed down to the present generation. Another
cause of the existing animosity arises from the fact of so
many disaffected politicians and others having taken refuge
in this "land of liberty/5 where they have had full opportunity of giving expression to their sentiments of disloyalty,
vehemently disclaiming against the laws and constitution
of their native land, thus agitating and perpetuating feelings of hatred from generation to generation. This flame
of dissension has, also, been fanned by numbers ^ho have
found their own country " too warm" for them, and who
have succeeded in escaping to the American shore to evade
the justice of the law.
The boasted freedom of the States, with such an immense population of slaves, who are born in wedlock, is,
to English notions of sterling freedom, a burlesque; and
the existence of an abominable law, having the effect of
making the poor creatures vote at elections for the perpetuation of slavery, is, among civilized nations, scarcely
to be credited. The law is, that each slave-owner is entitled to a vote on every five slaves he may hold, which is,
in effect, for continuing the practice; and as there is a
population of about three millions of slaves, out of about
eighteen millions, they give nearly six hundred thousand
votes for their own perpetual slavery whenever the question is agitated.
In the Southern States, where the slave-owners possess

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

55

jthe largest amount of property Wd influence, there are
icanting and truckling religious parsons who preach predestination to the poor slaves, and assure them that "they
We most fortunate in being snatched from the dark regions
jof Africa, and brought under the freedom and light of the
Gospel;" and, calling upon them as a duty, tell them
that "they ought to attend to the word of God, who has
jsaid that' he who does not his master's will shall be beaten
with many stripes;' and, therefore, not to be as ' eye servants :' that, the more hardships here, the e greater the
rewardin heaven;' and that they know not how to take a
pght view of their real situation, or, if they did, 0, how
thankful they ought to be that they had no care on their
ueads, like their masters I"
There are a few States in the north, however, which are
free from this stigma, where there are anti-slavery associations, and where meetings are held for abohshing slavery,
much to the credit of those individuals who compose them.
But there is little reason to hope for its immediate abolition, as the inhabitants in the south, from their numbers
and property, always have the preponderance in national
affairs.
-LAWYERS, DOCTORS, AND MAGISTRATES.

The very great numbers of what are called lawyers and
doctors, particularly the latter, are great pests to society.
I£ however^ men would only exercise prudence they might
avoid the former; but the Americans in general are very
litigious, and in " going a-head," they find much employment for the latter. In unhealthy districts, such as in the
vicinity of low swampy land, and where sickness usually
prevails, numbers of quacks, under the name of doctors,
obtrude themselves on the public, and shamefully impose
upon the labouring population.
Magistrates, also, ought to be avoided, inasmuch as
they pocket fees in every case brought before them. An
instance occurred in Canada, where a magistrate so ingeniously divided a case into two as to make each indiviE

56

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA.

dual plaintiff in one and defendant in the other, and thus
obtained fees from both parties. In the Canadas, a proerty qualification is necessary for the office of magistrate,
at the law in the case is not much regarded, so that
legislative interference has so far proved abortive.

Neighbourly kindness in some of the Northern States-^
Observations on the Currency, Sfc.
Having described one side of the American character, it
will not merely be an act of ordinary justice, but a pleasing
duty, to refer to the other. It is an unusual occurrence
to be accosted by a beggar in any pjart of America, It
sometimes happens that a poor labouring man on a journey
applies at a house to request a night's lodging, which is
usualy granted, with some refreshment in the morning to
carry him forward. There are hospitals for the relief of
the sick, where the indigent poor are taken care of; and
in some places, in cases of sickness and distress, it is usual
for the neighbours to volunteer their services, and to sit
up with and assist the afflicted; and should an instance
result in death, pecuniary and other assistance are supplied for the interment, Such instances of neighbourly
kindness redound to the credit of any community.
It is much to be regretted that the Americans should
foster such a groundless antipathy to the English nation;
and the arrogance, boasting, and conceit of the Yankees
are at all times very obnoxious to the straightforward character of John Bull. It is, however, to be hoped that
time and increasing knowledge will tend to dispel their
weak prejudices, and that an intercourse may be estabhshed
between two nations so naturally allied founded on principles of amity, honour, and sincerity.
The currency in Canada is as £120 is to £100 sterling.
The Spanish dollar, or bank paper, is 5s. currency, equal to
about 4s. 2d. sterling. The dollar is divided into *120
coppers. In dealings with shopkeepers the English shilling
is generally taken as a quarter of a dollar. <

EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA,

57

In the States the currency in some instances differs a
little, especially in the banker's paper. The golden eagle
is equal to 10 American dollars, which is divided into
halves and quarters, and the dollar into halves, quarters,
and eighths, and also into 100 parts or cents, about equal
to halfpence. The eighth is called a shilling, or121/2cents.
The sovereign is at a discount of about 8 cents under 5
dollars ; and the English shilling, as a quarter, passes for
22 cents only, which loses 3 cents.
GENERAL STATEMENT OE WEEKLY WAGES, &c.

& s. a. s s. d.
Shipwrights
1 5 0 to 1 15 0
House Carpenters and Joiners...... 1 5 0 „ 1 10 0
Masons and Plasterers
,
1 5 0 „ 1 10 0
Bricklayers
1 5 0 „ 1 10 0
Wheelwrights
1 4 0 „ 1 8 0
Tailors
1 0 0 „ 1 4 0
Shoemakers
1 4 0 „ 1 8 0
Labourers of all descriptions
,018 0 „ 0 0 0
And the wages of all other mechanics are in the like
ratio, who are, however, paid more or less, according to
their abilities.
Husbandmen and other labourers who are hired by the
year, receive about £20, with board and lodging.
It will be necessary to bear in mind that in North
America all out-door operations, in some trades, are suspended during four or five winter months. Many bricklayers, masons, &c, go into the south for employment in
the winter.
The profits on all descriptions of business are larger in
America than in England; and if a trader fails and becomes insolvent, he is allowed 300 dollars towards another
commencement in business.
PRINTED FOR THE PROPRIETORS,
BY G. PHILIP AND SON, SOUTH CASTLE STREET, LIVERPOOL.

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