Twenty-Seven Years in Canada West The Experience of an Early Settler (Volume I)

MY FIRST SHOT AT A BUCK.—HUNTING AND SHOOTING PARTIES.—DESTRUCTIVENESS OF WOLVES.—LOSS OF MY FLOCKS.—COWARDICE OF THE WOLF.—THE LADY AND HER PET.—COLONEL CRAWFORD’S ADVENTURE.—I...

PORCUPINE-CATCHING.—HANDSOME BEHAVIOUR OF MR. GALT.—OWLINGALE.—INTRODUCTION TO THE SON OF THE CELEBRATED INDIAN CHIEF, BRANDT.—EXPEDITION TO WILMOT.—SHAM WOLVES.—NIGHT IN A BARN...

FORMATION OF THE CANADA COMPANY.—INTERVIEW WITH MR. GALT.—HIS PERSONAL DESCRIPTION AND CHARACTER.—GUELPH.—DR. DUNLOP.—MY MEDICAL SERVICES AT GUELPH.—DR. DUNLOP AND THE “PAISLEY...

THE HURON TRACT.—JOURNAL OF DR. DUNLOP.—HIS HARDSHIPS.—I LEAVE GUELPH FOR GODERICH.—WANT OF ACCOMODATION.—CURIOUS SUPPER.—REMARKABLE TREES.—THE BEVERLY OAK.—NOBLE BUTTER-WOOD TR...

MY NEW HOUSE AT GODERICH.—CARPENTRY AN ESSENTIAL ART.—AMERICAN ENERGY.—AGREEABLE VISITORS.—MY WIFE’S DISASTERS.—HINTS FOR ANGLERS.—THE NINE-MILE-CREEK FROLIC.—THE TEMPEST.—OUR S...

WANT OF HOME-PASTURAGE IN CANADA.—DANGER OF BEING LOST IN THE WOODS.—PLAIN DIRECTIONS TO THE TRAVELLER IN THE BUSH.—STORY OF A SETTLER FROM EMILY.—AN OLD WOMAN’S RAMBLE IN THE W...

EMBARKATION FOR CANADA.—VOYAGE OUT.—SEA-LIFE.—ICEBERGS.—PASSAGE UP THE ST. LAWRENCE.—QUEBEC.—MEMORIALS OF GENERAL WOLFE.—CATHEDRAL.—HOSPITALITY.—EARTHQUAKES.—NUNS.—MONTREAL.—PRO...

EMPLOYMENTS OF A MAN OF EDUCATION IN THE COLONY.—YANKEE WEDDING.—MY COMMISSION.—WINTER IN CANADA.—HEALTHINESS OF THE CANADIAN CLIMATE.—SERACH FOR LAND.—PURCHASE WILD LAND AT DOU...

WOOD-DUCK SHOOTING.—ADVENTURE ON RICE LAKE.—IRISH HOWL.—ARRIVAL AT GORE’S LANDING.—GENERAL HOWLING FOR THE DEFUNCT.—DANGERS OF OUR JOURNEY.—SAFE ARRIVAL AT COBOURG.—SALMON-FISHI...

CANADIAN HARVEST.—PREPARING TIMBER FOR FRAME-BUILDINGS.—RAISING “BEE.”—BEAUTY OF THE CANADIAN AUTUMN.—VISIT TO OTONABEE.—ROUGH CONVEYANCE.—DISACCOMMODATION.—LEARNED LANDLORD.—CO...

I returned in sadness to my lonely and desolate home, feeling like a shipwrecked mariner, cast upon a desert shore. In fact, I had to begin life again, without the stimulus of d...

A NEW WAY OF KEEPING A BIRTHDAY.—LOST IN THE WOODS.—KINDNESS OF MR. GALT.—ADVICE TO NEW SETTLERS.—UNEXPECTED RETIREMENT OF MR. GALT.—I ACCOMPANY HIM TO THE LANDING-PLACE.—RECEIV...

PREPARATIONS FOR MY SECOND MARRIAGE.—DANGEROUS ADVENTURE.—MY WIFE’S NOCTURNAL VISITOR.—WE PREPARE FOR THE RECEPTION OF OUR UNINVITED GUEST.—BRUIN’S UNWELCOME VISIT TO AN IRISH S...

ARRIVAL AT DARLINGTON.—KIND RECEPTION.—MY FRIEND’S LOCATION.—HIS INEXPERIENCE.—DAMAGE TO HIS LAND BY FIRE.—GREAT CONFLAGRATION AT MIRAMACHI.—FOREST FIRES.—MIGHTY CONFLAGRATION O...

MY MARRIAGE.—I BECOME A SETTLER ON MY OWN ACCOUNT.—I PURCHASE LAND IN OTONABEE.—RETURN TO DARLINGTON.—MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT DRIVING A SPAN.—ACTIVE MEASURES TO REMEDY A DISASTER.—P...

A LOGGING BEE.—LIME-BURNING.—SHINGLING.—ARRIVAL OF MY BROTHER-IN-LAW.—BIRTH OF MY SON.—SAD JOURNEY TO DARLINGTON.—LOSE MY WAY.—AM REFUSED A LIFT.—MY BOYISH ANGER.—MY WIFE’S DEAT...

CANADA THE POOR MAN’S COUNTRY.—DISADVANTAGES OF INEXPERIENCE.—TOWNSHIP OF HARVEY SETTLEMENT.—PAUPER EMIGRATION.—SUPERIOR ADVANTAGES OF THE LABOURER COLONIST.—TEMPERANCE AND TEMP...

I shall now endeavour to give the emigrant some information to guide him in the selection of his land, and other matters connected with a settlement in the bush. In the first pl...

“I see by this paper, Strickland, that George IV. is dead; and that his Majesty King William IV. has been proclaimed. Now, I think, we must give the workmen a holiday on this me...

Colonel B—— was an old and valued friend of my family, who had held a lucrative situation under Government for many years. His retirement from public life, on some disgust, had...

[1] The passenger-pigeon is not so large as the wild pigeon of Europe. It is slender in form, having a very long-forked tail. Its plumage is a bluish-grey, and it has a lovely p...

The celebrated Anthony J.W.G. Von Egmond, who commanded the rebels at Gallows Hill during Mackenzie’s rebellion, was the first agricultural settler on the Huron tract. He had fo...

After twenty-seven years’ residence in Canada West, it may be reasonably inferred that I am justly entitled, from my long experience, to give a fair opinion as to the best chanc...

Porcupine-catching.—Handsome Behaviour of Mr. Galt.—Owlingale.—Introduction to the Son of the celebrated Indian Chief, Brandt.—Expedition to Wilmot.—Sham Wolves.—Night in a Barn...

Arrival at Darlington.—Kind Reception.—My Friend’s Location.—His Inexperience.—Damage to his Land by Fire.—Great Conflagration at Miramichi.—Forest Fires.—Mighty Conflagration o...

My Marriage.—I become a Settler on my own Account—I purchase Land in Otonabee.—Return to Darlington.—My first Attempt at driving a Span.—Active Measures to remedy a Disaster.—Pa...

My first Shot at a Buck.—Hunting and Shooting Parties.—Destructiveness of Wolves.—Loss of my Flocks.—Cowardice of the Wolf.—The Lady and her Pet.—Colonel Crawford’s Adventure.—I...

My new House at Goderich.—Carpentry an essential Art.—American Energy.—Agreeable Visitors.—My Wife’s Disasters.—Hints for Anglers.—The Nine-mile Creek Frolic.—The Tempest.—Our S...

Wood-duck Shooting.—Adventure on Rice Lake.—Irish Howl.—Arrival at Gore’s Landing.—General Howling for the Defunct.—Dangers of our Journey.—Safe Arrival at Cobourg.—Salmon-fishi...

Want of Home-pasturage in Canada.—Danger of being lost in the Woods.—Plain Directions to the Traveller in the Bush.—Story of a Settler from Emily.—An old Woman’s Ramble in the W...

A new Way of keeping a Birthday.—Lost in the Woods.—Kindness of Mr. Galt.—Advice to new Settlers.—Unexpected Retirement of Mr. Galt.—I accompany him to the Landing-place.—Receiv...

Employments of a Man of Education in the Colony.—Yankee Wedding.—My Commission.—Winter in Canada.—Healthiness of the Canadian Climate.—Search for Land.—Purchase Wild Land at Dou...

Preparations for my second Marriage.—Dangerous Adventure.—My Wife’s nocturnal Visitor.—We prepare for the Reception of our uninvited Guest.—Bruin’s unwelcome Visit to an Irish S...

The Huron tract.—Journal of Dr. Dunlop.—His Hardships.—I leave Guelph for Goderich.—Want of Accommodation.—Curious Supper.—Remarkable Trees.—The Beverly Oak.—Noble Butter-wood T...

Embarkation for Canada.—Voyage out.—Sea-life.—Icebergs.—Passage up the St. Lawrence.—Quebec.—Memorials of General Wolfe.—Cathedral.—Hospitality.—Earthquakes.—Nuns.—Montreal.—Pro...

Canada the Poor Man’s Country.—Disadvantages of Inexperience.—Township of Harvey Settlement.—Pauper Emigration.—Superior Advantages of the Labourer Colonist.—Temperance and Temp...

A Logging-Bee.—Lime-burning.—Shingling.—Arrival of my Brother-in-law.—Birth of my Son.—Sad Journey to Darlington.—Lose my Way.—Am refused a Lift.—My boyish Anger.—My Wife’s Deat...

Formation of the Canada Company.—Interview with Mr. Galt.—His personal Description and Character.—Guelph.—Dr. Dunlop.—My Medical Services at Guelph.—Dr. Dunlop and the Paisley B...

Canadian Harvest.—Preparing Timber for Frame-buildings.—Raising “Bee.”—Beauty of the Canadian Autumn.—Visit to Otonabee.—Rough Conveyance.—Disaccommodation.—Learned Landlord.—Co...