Twenty-Seven Years in Canada West | Page 3

watery Arguments. -- British and Foreign
Temperance Society

CHAPTER XII
. 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 Woods. --
Adventure of a Trapper. -- Fortunate Meeting with his Partner

CHAPTER XIII
. Directions for ascertaining the Quality of Land in the Bush. -- Site of
Log-shanty. -- Chopping. -- Preparation for Spring-crops. -- Method of
planting Indian Corn. -- Pumpkins and Potatoes. -- Making Pot-ash

CHAPTER XIV
. 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. --
Ingenious Trick of an American Trapper. -- A disagreeable Adventure.
-- How to poison Wolves. -- A stern Chase

CHAPTER XV
. 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 Bodies. --
An eccentric Character. -- An unfortunate wife

CHAPTER XVI
. 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 with Dr.
Dunlop. -- The Doctor and his Snuffbox. -- His Bath in the Nith. --
Louis XVIII. and his Tabatiere. -- Camp in the Woods. -- Return to
Guelph

CHAPTER XVII
. 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. -- Receive orders to

leave Guelph for Goderich. -- Whirlwinds at Guelph and Douro

CHAPTER XVIII
. 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 Trees. --
Goderich. -- Fine Wheat Crop. -- Purchase a Log-house. --
Construction of a Raft

CHAPTER XIX
. 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 Skipper
and his Lemon-punch. -- Short Commons. -- Camp in the Woods. --
Return on Foot. -- Ludicrous termination to our Frolic

CHAPTER XX
. Choice of a Location. -- The Company's Lands. -- Crown Lands. --
Tables published by the Canada Company. -- Progressive Improvement
of the Huron Tract

CHAPTER XXI
. The King proclaimed in the Bush. -- Fete and Ball in the Evening. --
My Yankee Fellow-traveller. -- Awful Storm. -- My lonely Journey. --
Magical Effect of a Name

CHAPTER XXII
. Visit of the Passenger-pigeon to the Canadas. -- Canadian Blackbirds.
- - Breeding-places of the Passenger-pigeons. -- Squirrels

CHAPTER XXIII

. The Rebel, Von Egmond, the first agricultural Settler on the Huron. --
Cutting the first Sheaf
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TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS IN CANADA WEST.

CHAPTER I
.
EMBARKATION FOR CANADA. -- VOYAGE OUT. -- SEA-LIFE.
-- ICEBERGS. -- PASSAGE UP THE ST. LAWRENCE. -- QUEBEC.
-- MEMORIALS OF GENERAL WOLFE. -- CATHEDRAL. --
HOSPITALITY. -- EARTHQUAKES. -- NUNS. -- MONTREAL. --
PROGRESS UP THE COUNTRY. -- MY ROMAN CATHOLIC
FELLOW-TRAVELLER. -- ATTEMPT AT CONVERSION. -- THE
TOWNSHIP OF WHITBY.
A PREFERENCE for an active, rather than a professional life, induced
me to accept the offer made by an old friend, of joining him at
Darlington, in Upper Canada, in the year 1825. I therefore took leave of
my family and pleasant home, in Suffolk, and engaged a passage in the
brig "William M'Gilevray," commanded by William Stoddart, an
experienced American seaman.
On the 28th of March we left the London Docks, and dropped down the
river to Gravesend, and on the following day put our pilot ashore off
Deal, and reached down as far as the coast of Sussex, where we were
becalmed for two days. Here one of our cabin-boys, a German, met
with a very serious accident by falling down the after hatchway, and
fracturing several of his ribs. On this occasion I officiated as a surgeon,
and bled him twice, with excellent effect, for he quickly recovered from
the severe injury he had received. Before quitting Suffolk I had learned
the art of blood-letting from our own medical attendant. Every person
intending to settle in a distant colony ought to acquire this simple
branch of surgery: I have often exercised it myself for the benefit of my
fellow-creatures