_Journey on the Banks of the Grand River—Corduroy Roads—River-side
Vegetation—Cradling—Settler from Edinburgh—Reserve of the Six
Nations—Nellis Settlement—Indian Notices—Settler from
Perthshire—First Settlers— Gentle Children—Agricultural
Notices—Great Heat—Drinking Water—Raising Bee—Brantford—Oak
Openings—Paris—Galt—Guelph—Waggoner at Table—Face of the
Country—Dutch Hotel._
We rose very early next morning, and rode in a hired waggon to a
friend’s near Albion mills, where we breakfasted, and set out for the
Grand River, accompanied by a third person, to whom I had written to
hold himself in readiness for the excursion. The road was tolerably
good, until within four or five miles of the river, which then consists
of almost one unbroken line of corduroy, on reaching which we returned
the waggon, and walked the remainder of the journey. A corduroy road,
or, in the language of the country, crossway, is formed of the trunks of
trees, laid close to each other, so that animals and carriages may pass
without touching the ground. It is formed wherever the soil is wet, and
may be considered log pavement. We came in contact with the river at
Brant’s tavern, where a wooden building was erecting of some
pretensions, and continued our walk down the left bank, where Mr W——
resides, about two miles below the tavern.
The soil from Hamilton to the Grand River is chiefly clay, of good
quality, and well settled, with exception of the Indian reserve on the
banks of the river. From Brant’s tavern to Mr W——’s, the road is
beautiful, the banks of the river being fringed with plum, cherry,
apple-trees, and hawthorn, encircled with the wild vine, the foliage of
which was particularly rich. I have often remarked the luxuriance and
beauty of river-side vegetation, and more especially in America, which,
no doubt, is in a great measure owing to the copious supply of moisture
afforded the plants by evaporation, and which is the more abundant on
moderate-sized rivers in a country like America, where the temperature
of day and night varies considerably.
The greater part of the crops had been carried, and those of wheat
remaining in the field appeared particularly shabby, compared with those
of Britain, being thin on the ground and short in the sheaf. I examined
a cradler at work in an oatfield, who was making good work, cutting low,
and laying down the ears with regularity. The implement is brought round
with a full and awkward-looking sweep, nine or ten feet wide, and jerked
so as to throw off the stalks, the whole of which are collected in the
cradle. By this mode of operating, the cradler supports the weight of
the crop collected in the sweep on his arms, and receives no relief from
any part of the cut crop, or implement resting on the ground, as in the
case of mowing grass with the common scythe of Britain: a heavy crop of
grain must, therefore, be particularly fatiguing to the cradler.
We found Mr W—— at home, who had been expecting us for a day or two, in
consequence of having been written to. He had been known to us all when
in Edinburgh, which he left in the previous month of March, and had only
been a few weeks in his present situation in the Nellis Settlement on
the Grand River. He had purchased six or seven hundred acres, about
seventy of which were cleared, and there was a good house, in the
Canadian sense of the word, on the property. For some time after the
purchase, he resided with the former proprietor, who only left the house
a few days before our arrival. His household establishment consisted of
a newly-imported Scotch ploughman; and as our host had not himself been
accustomed to house-keeping at any period of his life, the house may
have justly been termed Bachelor Hall. The evening was spent in walking
over the property, and admiring the beauty of the situation. Next
morning Mr W—— explained the peculiarity of his circumstances with
regard to household matters, which were temporary, and excited in all of
us mirth instead of regret. The breakfast table was laid out with the
only animal substance in the house, a large bone of mutton, the fragment
of a joint which had been prepared for us three days before, and now
produced to show we would have fared better had we kept our appointment.
I had made up my mind to try if there was flesh on the bone, which could
not be ascertained without using a knife, but unfortunately a large dog
scampered off with the relick before our eyes. Mr W—— at this time was
in the kitchen, infusing tea, and, when informed of the catastrophe,
promised to reward with a swing in a rope the poor dog, which had no
master, and had taken up its quarters with him a day or two before. A
consultation was held about obtaining a substitute for the bone, when
two of us went in quest of hen-eggs, a nest of which was found in the
barn, containing a great supply. On searching for the means of cooking
them, we could only find a boiler with a hole in the side, which seemed
to serve for general use. Into this vessel part of the eggs were put,
but it was impracticable to make the water boil, as it would have
escaped through the hole. On removing them, they were found sufficiently
done, and formed an excellent repast in connexion with the best wheaten
bread I ever met with, and which had been baked by the lady of the
former proprietor.
I have noticed these particulars in Mr W——’s household, from being
amongst the first real Backwood scenes we had met with, and which his
kindness and good-humour would have rendered agreeable under any
circumstances. He had been accustomed to move in the best society in
Edinburgh, and the facility with which he accommodated himself to his
altered situation, was deserving of praise. It has been said, the
circumstances of his household were temporary; and I have since learned
he soon afterwards married a young lady, whom I saw on the banks of the
Grand River, and trust he now enjoys that degree of happiness he so well
merits, and which I sincerely wish him.
In the forenoon of the day after our arrival, Mr W—— drove my two
friends, C—— and S——, down the banks of the river, I riding on
horseback, in company with Mr W. N——. The banks form what is called the
Reserve of the Six Nations, which extends from the mouth of the river on
Lake Erie to Brantford, a distance of about fifty miles, and embraces
three miles on each side of the river. The Indians granted part of their
lands, upwards of fifty years ago, to individuals chiefly of Dutch
extraction, who then settled on them, and whose descendants are still
resident. The land so granted is called the Nellis Settlement, and is
one of the most beautiful spots in Upper Canada. The poor Indians of the
Six Nations, like every one of the many tribes in America which have
come in contact with white men, have greatly decreased in numbers, and
have recently sold to the British Government fourteen miles in length of
their Reserve from the mouth of the river, and which has been surveyed,
and was brought into the market a few weeks after my visit there. To see
this district was the object of our excursion, but which the state of
the roads and want of time prevented our accomplishing. We retraced our
steps, after passing about half a mile into the newly ceded territory.
A number of well-dressed Indians of both sexes were passing up and down
the banks of the river on horseback, with good saddles and bridles. In
one instance, an Indian and his wife, or squaw, as they are called in
the language of the country, were riding together, she after the manner
of Englishwomen, with a child sitting behind, and the husband had a
child before him.
In going down the river, we called on an Indian of reputed wealth, named
Fish Carrier. He is a stout middle-aged man, with a wife and family. His
log-house had an appearance of comfort, having two large well-glazed
windows in front, a door with veranda to the back, and a stone chimney
stack. The family seemed to have finished a repast shortly before our
arrival,—a good table being covered with plates, knives, and forks,
recently used. There were two four-posted beds in the room, five or six
chairs, a cat, and several dogs. There were horses, cows, and pigs in
the woods. Fish Carrier could imperfectly understand, but was unable to
speak the English language, and Mr W. N—— being similarly situated with
the Indian one, the conversation of the parties was short and
unsatisfactory.
Some distance below Fish Carrier’s is the Council-house of the tribes, a
long narrow wooden building, with an upper and lower range of benches
round both sides, on which the senators recline during counsel. It is
kept by two old women, who cook on days of meeting. At the time of our
visit they were in the act of churning, and I sipped a little of the
buttermilk. The butter was particularly white in colour. I also partook
of bread made from Indian corn meal, mixed with a few unhusked French
beans, which looked like raisins in a cake. The bread was soft and damp,
and seemed to have been prepared by boiling. To me it was unpalatable,
although some of my friends did not dislike it. The roof was hung with
ears of Indian corn, considered public property, which are contributed
by individuals in years of abundance, and reserved for times of
scarcity. The Council-house is also used for dancing, and contained a
number of ornaments worn on such occasions, consisting of strings of
bones for fixing on different parts of the body, and prized for the
clattering they make when in motion.
On our return, a young Indian, of fifteen or sixteen years of age, shot
a small bird with an arrow from a common bow, and on being requested to
try and strike the bird when dead, he placed it on the trunk of a tree,
and missed it twice. Five small boys were shooting birds with a
blow-gun, and amused me by their manner of stealing up to the object of
their attack. The blow-gun is a long narrow wooden tube, with a small
arrow, on the end of which is a quantity of thistle down neatly dressed,
and which fills the tube, so as to give effect to the arrow, which is
discharged from the gun by the breath of the sportsman. It is little
better than a child’s toy.
Having a desire to see the lands which Government had obtained from the
Indians, Mr C—— and I set out next day at seven A.M., furnished with
horses, through the kindness of friends, to visit Mr B——. We had not,
however, gone far when his horse became so lame that he returned, and I
proceeded alone, down the banks of the river, which I lost sight of, and
after a long ride came to a settled part of the country, where I found
myself on the road to Cranberry, and four miles from the river. On
learning the direction of the river, I entered the woods with a tired
horse, which I led in my hand, and after a tedious walk, gained the
river two miles below where the object of my search resided, and which I
reached at two P.M. After resting the horse some time, I returned up the
river, and in two hours got over a distance which in the early part of
the day occupied seven hours. Many adventures are related throughout
Canada of people having lost themselves in the woods; and there is so
much danger in a bush excursion, that people unaccustomed to follow
tracks in the wilderness, ought never to incur the hazard. A
stubbornness of disposition led me to make an attempt to regain the
river without a compass. Guiding my course by the sun, my success was
complete, but had clouds arisen to obscure it, my situation would have
been unpleasant.
On introducing myself to Mr B——, he said he had heard of my arrival in
the country, and welcomed me kindly. He had only been settled a few
days, and was engaged in improving his house, with the assistance of an
Indian, who understood cabinet-making. The Indian was preparing a duck
for dinner, of which I partook, sitting on a chest, and having another
for a table. The duck might be a canvassback, but I made no enquiry on
the subject, and it was without feathers, by which alone I could have
determined the species. No food could be more grateful to my palate, and
I rejoiced at so opportune an arrival. Mr B——, with the understanding of
Government, purchased the Indian improvements, that is, paid them for
the house and cleared land; and was to pay afterwards the ordinary price
of land to Government. He was said to have farmed in Perthshire,
Scotland, and resided some time in the state of New York before coming
to Canada. Mentioning to him that I had been told of his leaving the
States in disgust with the people, he assured me such was not the case,
as he felt ashamed of having left his acquaintance there, who had shown
him the utmost kindness, and whom he respected and loved.
On my return to the Nellis Settlement, I passed one or two habitations
of white men on the river side, and seldom enjoyed a more agreeable
ride. The sun was low in the horizon, and gilded every object with a
rich and soothing hue, so different from the fierce rays of summer
noonday, that an admirer of nature seldom loses an opportunity of
viewing its loveliness. A romantic fancy may suppose this tint of the
setting sun an affectionate evening adieu to nature; and such are its
effects on vegetation, that I have seen the Scottish farmer stalk forth,
and gaze on the beauty of his crops, although perhaps insensible of the
cause of his pleasure. The unruffled waters, beneath a cloudless sky,
reflected objects on the surrounding banks; while Indian cots, situated
on the most prominent points of the terrace, occasionally met the eye.
When contemplating a landscape, where several small islands seemed
reposing on the surface of the river, and on which grew luxuriant Indian
corn, overtopped with magnificent sunflowers in full blossom, gentle
ripples issuing from beneath a bush on the bank of an island, led me to
expect waterfowl, but a squaw, standing erect, came gracefully paddling
a canoe filled with children, who had been cultivating the sunflower.
Swan never guided her brood with more majesty and care than this female
did her offspring.
I met some Indians, and a plain-looking white woman, with fair hair,
dressed in Indian attire, and carrying a child of Indian hue. She was
said to be a native of Ireland, and a solitary instance of a white
female living with the Indians.
My friends were at a loss to conjecture the cause of my absence, as I
engaged to dine at Mr N——’s, where I joined them a little after seven
o’clock. Next day we dined with Mr W. N——. These invitations came
opportunely after the loss of the mutton bone; and I have no doubt were
the means of saving the lives of several of Mr W——’s fowls. It was
gratifying to see the old settlers so attentive to Mr W—— on this
emergency, and I was glad of the opportunity of witnessing the manners
and customs of the descendants of the first inhabitants of this part of
the country. Mr N—— is pretty well advanced in life, a shrewd and
well-informed person, and has let his farm in shares to an Englishman.
Mr W. N—— is a very active middle-aged person, with a wife and family,
and cultivates his farm personally. He lives in a small frame-house,
with plain furniture, and every thing we saw was plain and neat. Mrs W.
N—— was also a native of Canada, cousin to her husband; had four or five
children; and was, I believe, without a female servant or help. The
children were thus the third generation which had been reared in
comparative seclusion on the banks of the Grand River. The softness of
manner, ease, and good-humour of the children, appeared equal to
families in the better ranks of life in my native country, and I was
anxious to ascertain if this gentleness of manner was real. With this
view I romped, fondled, and teased, within and without doors, the small
boys, without ruffling their tempers; and trust my little friends
Hamilton and Nielson will in age display matured fruits of their sweet
and early blossoms. Manner, like the disposition of children, is, to a
certain extent, the gift of nature; but the example of parents deeply
affects families, more especially when shut out from society. This
family unquestionably owed much to the good sense and conduct of both
parents, and ought to go far in satisfying people in Britain that their
children will not necessarily become savages by being removed to the
woods of Canada, if they themselves lead proper lives, which they ought
to do for their children’s sake, if not for their own.
I have already mentioned a dam across the Grand River at Dunville for
supplying water to the Welland Canal, and which throws back the water in
the channel of the river for nearly twenty miles, until it reaches the
Nellis Settlement. The beauty of the river has been injured below this
point by the stagnant water having covered the low lands, destroyed the
trees, and imparted a marshy and gloomy character to the banks. In the
Nellis Settlement, the river possesses much of its original character,
and is truly fine, gliding around some fertile and beautiful islands,
while the rich flat lands on the banks extend a considerable distance
back, and terminate in an undulating surface. The low land on the banks
of the river is what is termed bottom, or interval land, in some parts
of America, and is a fine rich loamy soil. The undulating ground is clay
of good quality, and has not been cleared to any extent. The low lands
are altogether cleared, though adorned with single and wide-spreading
trees; and it is here most of the settlers reside. If the Grand River is
rendered navigable to Brantford by means of locks, as is talked of, the
charms of the Nellis Settlement, one of the most beautiful spots in the
province, will be destroyed by the submersion of the islands and flats.
The soil of the Indian Reserve, including what was sold to government,
as seen by me on the east side of the Grand River, is chiefly clay of
medium quality, with very little vegetable mould on the surface. In a
distance of nearly twenty miles, I observed only one or two streamlets
joining the river, which does not augur favourably of the lands
abounding in water, unless the springs flow in a westerly direction
towards the Welland or Chippaway River. The prevailing wood is oak.
The agriculture on the Grand River embraces the cultivation of wheat,
oats, clover, and Indian corn, by the white population, the Indians
confining their attention chiefly to Indian corn, and occasionally a
little wheat. The female Indians bestow considerable attention on the
cultivation of Indian corn, which is planted on the best of land by the
river side, and infinitely surpasses any thing I saw belonging to the
white population. In many cases the crop was eight feet high, and almost
always has intermingled with it a few plants of the sunflower, still
more luxuriant than the corn, the large yellow flowers of which bending
towards the sun, impart a high degree of richness and beauty to the
crop.
At eight A.M. on the 21st August, the party at Mr W——’s broke up,
Captain A—— on horseback for Blenheim, S—— and the mutton-bone stealer
for Hamilton, and C—— and I on foot for Brantford. The morning was fine,
and the road being through the Indian Reserve on the banks of the river,
we enjoyed our walk for some time. But towards noon the powerful rays of
a vertical sun shone on us, while the banks and trees excluded every
breath of air, and we suffered considerably from heat. My friend on two
occasions petitioned for a few minutes’ rest, when we reclined under a
tree to cool, almost naked. We reached Brantford to dinner, a distance
of twenty-four miles, and learned the thermometer stood at ninety-four
degrees in the shade. In the evening we walked around Brantford, having
quite recovered the fatigue and broiling we underwent in the early part
of the day.
People frequently speak of the danger of drinking cold water in Canada,
and recommend a mixture of spirits as a safeguard, a convenient doctrine
for such as delight in stimulants. Having at every period of my life
indulged in the use of cold water when thirsty and taking exercise, I
saw no reason for a change of system while in America, which Mr C—— also
followed. In walking through the Indian Reserve, we became thirsty, and
being unable to discover water, we approached the dwelling of an Indian,
in the hope of obtaining a supply. A well-dressed interesting young
squaw was sitting under a wooden shade, with a deer-skin, the embers of
a fire, and cooking apparatus before her, apart from the house, to avoid
heating it. I asked for a drink, and on observing that she did not
comprehend the import of my words, motioned the action of drinking, when
she instantly glided into the house, and brought a snow-white bowl,
which she presented with water. We made a second application at an
Indian habitation, but our eloquence and gestures were unavailing, as
the inmates did not seem to wish to afford us relief. My friend now
contrasted the soft black eye and benevolent countenance of the squaw
who supplied water, with the dirty sordid looking creatures who denied
it; and while we were engaged in debating whether the different
appearances of the individuals really existed, or arose from our
associations connected with them, we suddenly beheld an interesting and
extensive view at a bend of the river, lying 200 feet below; and in the
foreground, at a few yards distance, a limpid fount bubbling forth from
the hollow trunk of a tree, at which we quenched our thirst.
In passing from Nellis Settlement to Brantford, two Indian school-houses
were observed, and we intended calling on their religious instructor, Mr
N——, who was from home. The Indian houses were similar to those on the
river below, with glazed windows, verandas for excluding the rays of the
sun, and a ladder on the roof for reaching the chimney-top. We several
times pulled excellent apples, and passed one tree of remarkable size,
loaded with fruit, surrounded by a fence, and its branches supported by
props.
The soil on the banks of the river was generally clay, though in some
places sand, and there was a tract of five or six miles of excellent
loam. The wood was chiefly oak, with here and there a few pines, which
on the west side seemed to prevail to the water’s edge. There is little
agriculture on this part of the Reserve of any kind. At the Indian’s
dwelling, where we obtained the drink of water, there was a good crop of
wheat, well stacked, a waggon for carrying home the crop, and a good
barn. This day I commenced a collection of seeds, by selecting six
species of wheat, three white chaffed varieties having red-skinned
grain, and three red chaffed varieties having very white grain.
While at Brantford, we observed a raising bee, that is, raising the
frame of a house by a collection of people. The frame had been
constructed, and the parts fitted beforehand, and the company had only
to put them together. The process was expeditiously effected, the
largest timbers being hoisted to their places by long sharp-pointed
poles. The power of brute-force was displayed; yet three men, with the
aid of mechanical power, might have accomplished the labour of thirty.
Brantford owes its name to the celebrated Mohawk Indian chief, Brant,
and is situated on a high bank on the east side of the Grand River. It
is a growing place, containing six hundred souls. There is a new bridge
erecting over the river, forming the great thoroughfare to the London
and Western districts; and it is said to be in contemplation to render
the river navigable to this point. On the opposite side of the river,
there is an extensive rich-looking flat country, a part of which is
occupied by Europeans on lease from the Indians.
Having experienced the inconvenience of walking in warm weather, we
debated whether to pursue the remainder of our journey on horseback or
in a waggon, and determined on the latter, which was engaged at $3 per
day, the driver finding himself and horses.
Next morning Mr W——, Captain A——, my friend, and I, left Brantford early
in the morning, on our way to Galt, and stopped to breakfast with a Mr
C——, a successful farmer, residing within seven miles of Brantford. The
farm consists of what is called oak openings or plains; and, on
examination, I found the soil consisting partly of clay and partly of
sand. The crops had been pretty good, especially a field of oats. The
straw of wheat in the barn showed no traces of mildew, and the grain was
equal to any I had met with in America, a sample of which I preserved.
Oak openings or plains consist of stunted oak-trees, thinly scattered
over the surface, so that the plough may frequently enter without
further obstruction than what arises from the roots of bushes. It is
quite certain that fire passes over the plains every year or two, and
destroys all tender vegetation. The effects of fire, I have no doubt,
also prevents the growth of the trees, which are sometimes pretty thick,
and in other places several acres are found without any. Oak openings
are free of vegetable mould, or even live vegetation of any value; the
soil is commonly light sand, and a superficial observer is apt to think
nature hath pronounced the curse of sterility on such spots. But part of
Mr C——’s soil convinced me the thinness of the trees, and thriftless
vegetation is not an effect of the nature of the soil, which is often
much under-rated. Oak openings may be cultivated by girdling the trees,
and ploughing with six oxen, and fallowing the ground two years.
Mr C—— speaks in high terms of his oak openings, only a small part of
which, in my opinion, merited praise. He estimates the expense of
raising the first wheat crop on such soil, including the price of land,
and two years’ fallow, at $20 per acre, and the return of the first crop
at twenty bushels. The price of wheat, last year’s crop, 1832, was $¾.
Gypsum, or plaster of Paris, he invariably applies to clover. Labourers
are always to be had at from $10 to $13 a-month in summer. Winter lasts
six months. I was pleased with my visit to Mr C——, and on parting
expressed myself so to him.
After breakfast we proceeded by way of Paris, so called from its
quarries of gypsum, or plaster of Paris, situated on the Grand River,
eight miles from Brantford, and one below the Forks, at which there is
mills. We soon afterwards reached Galt, also situated on the Grand
River, over which there is a bridge. It contains a church, grist, saw,
and pail mill; and several buildings are of stone. My friend had a
letter of introduction, which he had brought from Edinburgh, to a
gentleman in Galt, whom we understood to be in the habit of receiving
the bearers of such letters coolly. In order to guard against apparent
disappointment, we delayed calling with the letter till after dinner,
and gave instructions for the horses to be put to the waggon before we
left the inn. Our reception was, however, all we could have wished,
being asked to take wine, and tea, both of which we declined. In
conversation, we learned he had left his own residence to avoid company,
and building-lots in the village were not sold, for creating opposition
to Mr——’s store. The prospect from Galt is pine forest of stunted
growth, with a few straggling cedars on the margin of the river. We left
Galt in the afternoon, and reached Guelph at eight P.M. Next day we rode
into the township of Eramosa, and returned to Guelph in time for dinner,
and reached Galt in the evening.
Guelph is finely situated on the river Speed, a branch of the Grand
River, and is well supplied with water from springs as well as the
river, which drives mills, and over which there are two bridges. There
are about fifty houses in the village, only one of which is of stone.
There is a market house of wood, roughly finished, and without a stall
or a frequenter of any kind. Three considerable sized churches of
different sects, Catholic, Episcopalian, and Presbyterian, are being
erected. Three weeks previous to our arrival, a range of six or seven
wood houses had been burnt down, the brick chimneys of which were
standing.
This village could boast of ruins, if not of antiquities. The bridges
over the Speed at Guelph, and the corduroy, were decayed, and in a
shameful state of neglect, alike marking the worthless nature of the
wood and insufficient road-way management of the district.
The inn at Guelph is a good establishment for the country, and greatly
superior to that at Galt. Our waggoner breakfasted and dined at the
public table, in company with two gentlemanly-looking persons, lately
from England, without any explanation from the landlord. The waggoner
was a Lower Canadian, of French descent, and strongly resembling in size
and feature the common description of Scotch peasantry. He spoke the
English language in a broken imperfect manner, and was an unassuming
obliging person. This was the second time drivers had appeared at table
since reaching the American shore, and I did not experience
inconvenience of any kind on either occasion from their presence, both
having conducted themselves with the utmost propriety. A meal in the
United States and Canada is simply a feeding, and not in any degree a
conversational meeting; and ability to pay is therefore considered the
standard of admission to public tables. Britain and America are
similarly situated in this respect, but in Britain the facilities of
getting private tables, and various degrees of entertainment, completely
separate travellers into different grades. Viewing meals as social
meetings, texture of coat or profession ought not to gain or deny an
individual admission to table; and wherever the inhabitants of a country
have not been brutalized, true politeness at a public table never fails
to check vulgarity and impudence, as well as to impart pleasure.
The surface from Brantford to Galt, by way of Paris, is undulating,
chiefly oak openings, consisting of dwarfish decaying oak-trees, with a
good deal of underwood, and scarcely a plant of grass or clover
interspersed. In some places a good deal of pine is seen, but every
description of tree, including larch, is small and stunted looking.
From Galt to Guelph, and in the neighbourhood of the latter, the soil is
light, composed of sand or gravel, bearing inferior crops, and, judging
from the way sides, calculated to produce excellent pasturage. The wood
is small sized; and the district abounding with limpid streams. Annual
thistles were growing in vast numbers, and where cleared land had been
neglected, were occupying the entire surface. The clearing of land was
going on to a considerable extent.
The wheat was much mildewed, and some fields we examined nearly
destroyed by it. Sleighs, mere arms of trees, were passing along the
roads, drawn by two oxen, on which were small bags, seemingly going to
the grist-mill, and under guidance of a stout man, who could have
carried the bags on his shoulders. Such a misapplication of ox labour
arose, I fear, from laziness.
A considerable part of the country between Guelph and Galt is settled by
Dutchmen, many of whom have cleared farms of considerable size, with
good houses and barns. There is a respectable hotel within a few miles
of Galt, at which we intended to stop for the night. On entering the
bar-room, in which were ten or twelve people, the landlord was scolding
his wife in _high Dutch_; and as he continued deaf to our enquiries, we
left the house.