Toronto, February 7.
Mr. B. gave me a seat in his sleigh, and after a rapid and very pleasant
journey, during which I gained a good deal of information, we reached
Toronto yesterday morning.
The road was the same as before, with one deviation however--it was
found expedient to cross Burlington Bay on the ice, about seven miles
over, the lake beneath being twenty, and five-and-twenty fathoms in
depth. It was ten o'clock at night, and the only light was that
reflected from the snow. The beaten track, from which it is not safe to
deviate, was very narrow, and a man, in the worst, if not the last stage
of intoxication, noisy and brutally reckless, was driving before us in a
sleigh. All this, with the novelty of the situation, the tremendous
cracking of the ice at every instant, gave me a sense of apprehension
just sufficient to be exciting, rather than very unpleasant, though I
will confess to a feeling of relief when we were once more on the solid
earth.
It is a remarkable fact, with which you are probably acquainted, that
when one growth of timber is cleared from the land, another of quite a
different species springs up spontaneously in its place. Thus, the oak
or the beech succeeds to the pine, and the pine to the oak or maple.
This is not accounted for, at least I have found no one yet who can give
me a reason for it. We passed by a forest lately consumed by fire, and I
asked why, in clearing the woods, they did not leave groups of the
finest trees, or even single trees, here and there, to embellish the
country? But it seems that this is impossible--for the trees thus left
standing, when deprived of the shelter and society to which they have
been accustomed, uniformly perish--which, for mine own poor part, I
thought very natural.
A Canadian settler _hates_ a tree, regards it as his natural enemy, as
something to be destroyed, eradicated, annihilated by all and any means.
The idea of useful or ornamental is seldom associated here even with
the most magnificent timber trees, such as among the Druids had been
consecrated, and among the Greeks would have sheltered oracles and
votive temples. The beautiful faith which assigned to every tree of the
forest its guardian nymph, to every leafy grove its tutelary divinity,
would find no votaries here. Alas! for the Dryads and Hamadryads of
Canada!
There are two principal methods of killing trees in this country,
besides the quick, unfailing destruction of the axe; the first by
setting fire to them, which sometimes leaves the root uninjured to rot
gradually and unseen, or be grubbed up at leisure, or, more generally,
there remains a visible fragment of a charred and blackened stump,
deformed and painful to look upon: the other method is slower, but even
more effectual; a deep gash is cut through the bark into the stem, quite
round the bole of the tree. This prevents the circulation of the vital
juices, and by degrees the tree droops and dies. This is technically
called _ringing_ timber. Is not this like the two ways in which a
woman's heart may be killed in this world of ours--by passion and by
sorrow? But better far the swift fiery death than this "ringing," as
they call it!
* * * * *
February 21.
The monotony of this my most monotonous existence was fearfully broken
last night. I had gone early to my room, and had just rung for my maid,
when I was aware of a strange light flashing through the atmosphere,--a
fire was raging in the lower parts of the city. I looked out; there was
the full moon, brighter than ever she shows her fair face in our dear
cloudy England, looking down upon the snowy landscape, and the icy bay
glittered like a sheet of silver; while on the other side of the heavens
all was terror and tumult--clouds of smoke mingled with spires of flame
rose into the sky. Far off the garrison was beating to arms--the bells
tolling; yet all around there was not a living being to be seen, and the
snow-waste was still as death.
Fires are not uncommon in Toronto, where the houses are mostly wood;
they have generally an alarum once or twice a week, and six or eight
houses burned in the course of the winter; but it was evident this was
of more fearful extent than usual. Finding, on inquiry, that all the
household had gone off to the scene of action, my own maid excepted, I
prepared to follow, for it was impossible to remain here idly gazing on
the flames, and listening to the distant shouts in ignorance and
suspense. The fire was in the principal street (King Street), and five
houses were burning together. I made my way through the snow-heaped,
deserted streets, and into a kind of court or garden at the back of the
blazing houses. There was a vast and motley pile of household stuff in
the midst, and a poor woman keeping guard over it, nearly up to her
knees in the snow. I stood on the top of a bedstead, leaning on her
shoulder, and thus we remained till the whole row of buildings had
fallen in. The Irishmen (God bless my countrymen! for in all good--all
mischief--all frolic--all danger--they are sure to be the first) risked
their lives most bravely; their dark figures moving to and fro amid the
blazing rafters, their fine attitudes, and the recklessness with which
they flung themselves into the most horrible situations, became at last
too fearfully exciting. I was myself so near, and the flames were so
tremendous, that one side of my face was scorched and blistered.
All this time the poor woman on whose shoulder I was leaning stood
silent and motionless, gazing with apparent tranquillity on her burning
house. I remember saying to her with a shudder--"But this is dreadful!
to stand by and look on while one's home and property are destroyed!"
And she replied quietly, "Yes, ma'am; but I dare say some good will come
of it. All is for the best, if one knew it; and now Jemmy's safe, I
don't care for the rest." Now Jemmy was not her son, as I found, but a
poor little orphan, of whom she took charge.
There had been at first a scarcity of water, but a hole being hewed
through the ice on the lake, the supply was soon quick and plentiful.
All would have been well over, if the sudden fall of a stack of chimneys
had not caused some horrible injuries. One poor boy was killed, and some
others maimed--poor Mr. B. among the number. After this I returned home
rather heart-sick; and nigh to the house a sleigh glanced by at full
gallop, on which I could just perceive, in the moonlight, the extended
form of a man with his hands clenched over his head--as in agony, or
lifeless.
* * * * *