The Country of the Neutrals

The Country of the Neutrals, by
James H. Coyne

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Title: The Country of the Neutrals (As Far As Comprised in the County
of Elgin), From Champlain to Talbot
Author: James H. Coyne
Release Date: August 21, 2007 [EBook #22363]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS

(AS FAR AS COMPRISED IN THE COUNTY OF ELGIN)
FROM CHAMPLAIN TO TALBOT

BY
JAMES H. COYNE.

ST. THOMAS, ONT. TIMES PRINT. 1895.
[Illustration: This is a copy of Galinee's map of 1670, the first made
from actual exploration in which Lake Erie appears. It was printed in
Faillon's "Histoire de la Colonie Française," and in "The History of the
Early Missions in Western Canada." The plate was very kindly placed
at the service of the Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute, for use in
this work by the Very Reverend Dean Harris, the author of the last
mentioned book.
The following explanations refer chiefly to the western portion of the
map:
Title: "Map of the country visited by Messrs. Dollier de Casson and de
Galinee, missionaries of St. Sulpice, drawn by the same M. de Galinee.
(See M. Talon's letter 10th November, 1670)." L. Huron: "Michigan or
Fresh-Water Sea of the Hurons." (These lakes were erroneously
supposed to be but one). N. End: "Bay of the Pottawatamies." Islands
near Mackinac: "I entered this bay only as far as these islands." W. of
St. Clair River: "Great hunting ground." At Detroit: "Here was a stone,
idol of the Iroquois, which we broke up and threw into the water."
Essex Peninsula: "Large prairies." Lake Erie: "I mark only what I have
seen." Long Point: "Peninsula of Lake Erie." North Shore Opposite:
"Here we wintered." The Bay Opposite: "Little Lake Erie." Grand
River: "Rapid River on Tina-Toua." East Side Grand River: "Excellent
land." West Side Grand River: (up the river): "The Neutral Nation was
formerly here." West of Burlington Bay: "Good land." Niagara River:

"This current is so strong that it can hardly be ascended." At its Mouth:
"Niagara Falls said by the Indians to be more than 200 feet high." Lake
Ontario: "I passed on the south side, which I give pretty accurately."
North Shore: "Mr. Perot's encampment. Here the missionaries of St.
Sulpice established themselves."]

THE COUNTRY OF THE NEUTRALS.
BY
JAMES R. COYNE.
In that part of the township of Southwold included in the peninsula
between Talbot Creek and the most westerly bend of Kettle Creek there
were until a relatively recent date several Indian earthworks, which
were well-known to the pioneers of the Talbot Settlement. What the
tooth of time had spared for more than two centuries yielded however
to the settler's plough and harrow, and but one or two of these
interesting reminders of an almost forgotten race remain to gratify the
curiosity of the archæologist or of the historian. Fortunately, the most
important of all is still almost in its original condition. It is that, which
has become known to readers of the Transactions of the Canadian
Institute as the Southwold Earthwork. It is situated on the farm of Mr.
Chester Henderson, Lot Number Four North on Talbot Road East. Mr.
David Boyle in the Archæological Reports printed in 1891 has given
the results of his examinations of the mounds. A carefully prepared
plan made from actual survey by Mr. A. W. Campbell, C.E., for the
Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute of St. Thomas, was presented
by the latter to the Canadian Institute.[1] These will together form a
valuable, and, it is hoped, a permanent record of this interesting
memorial of the aboriginal inhabitants of South-western Ontario.
[1] Mr. J. H. Scott, of St. Thomas, has made a number of photographs
of the mounds at the instance of an American lady, who, it is
understood, will reproduce them in a work about to be published by
her.

The writer of this paper has been acquainted with "the old fort," as it
was called, since the year 1867. At that time it was in the midst of the
forest. Since then the woods have been cleared away, except within the
fort and north of it. Indeed, a considerable number of trees have been
felled