upwards, with scarcely more than two leaves, which are much rounder at
the end than those of wheat; but that the plant of wheat produces three
or four pointed leaves, which, instead of being directed upwards, are,
at first, inclined to spread. After my aunt had returned home, we walked
into some of Farmer Moreland’s fields. He is very busy sowing late
oats, and planting potatoes in drills, which are made with as much
regularity, and the seeds dropped in as equally, as if the distances had
been measured by compasses.
The bees have been about for some days, a sure mark, my aunt says, of
the arrival of spring. They began to venture out of their hives about
the middle of this month; and their coming abroad is a sign that the
flowers from which they gather honey are already opening.
The gooseberry trees are growing green, and I can distinguish the
flower-buds enlarging daily; so are those of the currant, which in
autumn I saw closely folded up in little scaly buds. The larch trees are
shewing their gay green tinge, the spurge laurel is in bloom; and every
tree, and plant, and bird, are rapidly advancing toward the perfection
of summer.
I said to my aunt this evening, that I thought the appearance of all
nature wakening, as it were, from the torpor or death of winter, seemed
to be peculiarly suitable to the hopes of that glorious change in
ourselves which this period so forcibly brings to our minds. She
replied, that it was one of those striking points of connexion between
natural and revealed religion which must make a deep impression on every
reflecting mind; and she agreed with me that nothing could afford a
better subject for a hymn.
_26th, Easter Day._--As soon as breakfast was over, my uncle said he was
going to address a few words to us on the great Christian festival which
we were going to celebrate.
“It is most satisfactory,” said he, “to know that whether we consider
the number, the means of information, or the veracity of the witnesses,
no testimony can surpass that which was borne by the Apostles to the
fact of our Lord’s resurrection.
“That wonderful event was the accomplishment both of the ancient
prophecies, and of his own predictions; it was a miraculous declaration
on the part of God, that the great atonement was accepted; it was the
Divine attestation to the truth of our Saviour’s doctrines; a full
confirmation of the promises he had already held out to his followers,
and consequently a perfect security to them for the ultimate completion
of those further promises which it had been one great object of his
mission to offer to mankind. We have reason, therefore, to be thankful
that, in the first preaching of the Gospel, Providence ordained that a
fact of such importance should be accompanied with irresistible
evidence; evidence of such a nature as requires no nice examination to
adjust, but such as imparts conviction to every one who can read the
Bible.
“The Jews were disappointed that Jesus did not shew his power by coming
down from the cross; but he shewed his power more fully, by rising from
the grave. They saw him taken dead from that cross, and laid in a
sepulchre, which was scooped out of the rock, which was accessible only
at the entrance, and which was guarded by sixty soldiers. Yet while the
soldiers watched, he burst those feeble barriers, and rose from his
tomb, to shew his followers that those who die in Him shall rise, as he
did, to triumph over death.
“After his resurrection,” continued my uncle, “there was a wonderful
change in our Lord. Previously to this event, it was in power, and in
wisdom, that he had shewed himself divine; but afterwards, every thing
concerning him seems miraculous and mysterious. This first appears in
the manner of his resurrection. He evidently had left the sepulchre
before it was opened; the women who are named by St. Matthew, saw the
angel appear, and roll away the stone; but he was already gone. ‘To Mary
Magdalene,’ he said, ‘touch me not,’ as if there was that divine
spirituality about his person which forbade the near approach of human
frailty. And twice, when his disciples were assembled and the doors
fastened, for fear of the Jews, he appeared in the midst of them; but to
Him who had departed from the unopened sepulchre, it was no difficulty
to enter a barricadoed house. From these, and other concurring
circumstances, it is evident that his body had undergone a change, ‘the
corruptible had put on incorruption;’ it was no longer the human body in
its mortal state--it was the body raised to life and immortality, and
united to the Deity.
“There was something about this divinity of his person, that was
probably unsuitable to a more open display of himself to the public than
he vouchsafed to make. He shewed himself, however, to all the Apostles;
‘he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once;’ in short, there
were sufficient witnesses to attest his identity, and to publish the
truth of his miraculous resurrection to all mankind. The Jewish people,
in the rejection of our Lord, had filled the measure of their guilt;
they had no further claim on him, and he no longer held his visible
residence among them. When led to the cross, he had warned them that
they would see him no more till they should be prepared to acknowledge
his authority.
“The resurrection of our Saviour ensures resurrection to us also; it
ensures to us a second life; but the complexion of that life depends on
our faith, and our obedience in this. He ‘will change our vile body,
that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body;’ but this
transformation of our being requires a previous transformation of our
mind.
“It is true that, as nothing has been distinctly communicated to us on
the mode of existence after our resurrection, we can know but little of
the precise nature of that future life; but there may be more analogy in
it to our present state than we can now venture to affirm. There is some
reason to believe that the employments of the good and wise, and the
chief sources of their happiness in this world, have more or less
relation to those which they are to enjoy in the world to come. The
study of nature, the pursuit of knowledge, and the exercise of our
faculties, when controlled by religion and virtue, may all, perhaps,
assist in qualifying us for occupations and enjoyments in the ‘kingdom
of the Father,’ infinitely more excellent and refined indeed, yet not
entirely dissimilar.
“But whatever view we take of the mode of our future existence, it must
revive and invigorate our minds to feel that the evidence of the
resurrection of mankind is full and complete; and that we may,
therefore, look forward, with perfect confidence, beyond these clouded
scenes of mortality, to their final result. Let us now go, my children,
and during the solemn service of this day, let us turn our eyes forward
to that permanent happiness that we are taught to expect as the fruits
of the discipline and vicissitudes experienced in the present life--and
now, and always, let us keep our minds steadily and gratefully fixed on
that glorious consummation of immortality, which our Lord has purchased
for us, by his death and resurrection.”
_27th._--A new world of knowledge has opened to me, dear mamma, since my
uncle began to teach us a little geology. I know it is but an outline,
the slightest sketch, as he says, of the science; but it is sufficient
to give a general idea of the strata near the surface of the globe; and
the specimens of the different series have made all he told us doubly
impressive. He has no beautiful minerals and crystals, as they are very
expensive, and not so instructive as his rock collection. Indeed, he
considers his children in all that he does; and these drawers were, I
believe, arranged purposely for their benefit.
He shewed us this morning another class of substances imbedded in the
secondary strata; these are the pebbles or broken fragments of rocks
which they are often found to contain, and which have evidently belonged
to strata older than themselves. For instance, new red sandstone
frequently contains pieces of the carboniferous limestone belonging to
the order next below it, as well as of many still older rocks: it is, in
fact, nothing but a mass of sand and gravel cemented together; and which
sand and gravel are only the remains, or _debris_ as they are called, of
former rocks. My uncle says we may conclude, from this fact, that the
rocks from which those fragments were derived must have been exposed to
the action of violently agitated water, which tore off these masses, and
rounded them by friction, before the newer rock, in which the fragments
are now imbedded, was formed.--Another conclusion he draws from it, is
this: these rocks were undoubtedly at some former period, beds of loose
gravel; but loose gravel could never have been left by the water piled
up in a highly inclined slope: we may therefore be sure, when new
sandstone and other rocks of the same kind are found in nearly vertical
strata, that this cannot have been their original situation, but that
they must have been forced into their present position by some
convulsion _after_ their consolidation. These consolidated gravel beds
are called conglomerates, breccias, or pudding-stones, according to the
materials of which they are composed.
He told us that the remains of marine animals, such as we saw the other
day, are found in two-thirds of the rocks that compose the surface of
the globe; and even on the highest summit of the Pyrenean mountains in
Europe, and of the Andes in America. From this important fact, it is
ascertained, without the possibility of doubt, that those continents
have not only been covered by the ocean, but that they are formed of
materials which once gradually collected at the bottom of that ocean.
A long conversation followed, but I cannot trust myself to write it; it
principally turned on the wonderful changes that have taken place in the
level of the ocean. What extraordinary causes could have lowered it to
its present level, or else have raised up the land out of its bosom?--If
the land has really subsided, what can have become of the enormous
quantity of water which once flowed round the tops of the loftiest
mountains? These questions, he said, have long engaged the attention of
philosophers, and many ingenious theories and fanciful suppositions have
been advanced to solve them. He slightly mentioned some of them; but
merely to gratify our curiosity, strongly advising us to repress our
anxiety about causes till we were in possession of facts.
_28th._--CANADA EXTRACTS.
“_Loghouse, April 5th._--You can scarcely conceive, when I saw your
handwriting, the thrill of delight it gave me--your letter was a real
feast--I could not sleep that night, from the fulness of my head and
heart.
* * * * *
“The snow, I am told, continues later this year than usual; in some
places it was three feet deep, and is still deep, though it has gone
off rapidly within the last fortnight, as it thaws a little every day,
while the sun is hot.
“The buds are all swelling, and I have heard one or two new birds of
late--but they stay up in the high trees, and I have not been able to
see them. We have numbers of dear little tomtits, and some sparrows and
crows. I used to despise all these at home, but here I delight in them,
they are like old acquaintances. When we first came here, I heard an
eagle very often, but he has deserted us.
“I am surprised at the nice green herbage that is under the snow; by
which, and the decayed leaves, it has been preserved from the frost. The
children bring in plants every day; the mosses and lichens are all quite
new to me.
“The deep snow has much delayed the clearing of our land; next week we
are to have five men here to cut down trees, _choppers_ as they are
called; we have one at present, and it is astonishing with what
dexterity and speed he fells these huge hemlock pines, nearly one
hundred feet high. It is almost sublime to see them stoop their dark
heads slowly, and then fall; very gradually at first, but soon
increasing in rapidity--tearing off the neighbouring branches, shaking
all the other trees, and coming down with a crash that makes the whole
forest echo the sound. The Americans from the United States are employed
to _chop_, as they are more expert than people from the old country,
and can make the trees take the precise direction they choose in
falling.
“We are much better off than most people are on first settling in the
woods. There are some families here, who for the first six months had no
food of any kind, except salt pork, for breakfast, dinner and supper,
and without even bread; but we have good bread and peas, and sometimes
turnips, with excellent milk. We brought barley and rice with us; and
the arrow-root that you gave me is a great comfort to the children;--I
never saw three more healthy creatures.
* * * * *
“_May 2nd._--Last week we were busily engaged in burning the fallen
trees, which covered the surface of the ground that we had cleared.
“The branches were first piled up and burned; then the great stems,
which had been cut into pieces about twelve feet long, were drawn
together by the oxen, and with much labour raised into piles, and set on
fire. This was a very dangerous operation, for some of them were very
near our wooden house; and the whole surface of the ground is
combustible, as for several inches deep it is composed of leaves and
bark, and looks like a bed of peat earth. When this takes fire the
flames rapidly spread, and are very difficult to extinguish; but we are
now safe.
“The Indians sometimes walk into our house; but they are harmless and
inoffensive, and ask only for whiskey, which they like better than any
thing else. They bring baskets, and little bowls, and dishes made of the
bark of the birch-tree, and are glad to sell them for spirits, flour, or
pork. They come down the river in their canoes, and can paddle them
across the rapids just opposite this house, where no European could
venture in a boat.
* * * * *
“_June 5th._--Our first spring flowers were hepaticas, which actually
carpeted the ground as daisies do at home; they were single, but very
large, and blue, pink, and white. We had the pretty yellow dog-tooth
violets in profusion; then white and crimson lilies; both of them
handsome, but with an odious smell: there was another very
elegant-looking plant, with a leaf like fumitory, the root a collection
of reddish bulbs, and the flower something like a butterfly orchis.
* * * * *
“We have now abundance of yellow, white, and purple violets, but the
white only have a sweet smell. There is also a beautiful yellow lady’s
slipper, and numerous other flowers, which I may describe some other
time.
“Our shrubs are leatherwood, cranberry, dog-wood, Alpine honeysuckle
without scent, and syringa. The trees are elm, maple, oak, beech,
cedar, hemlock pine, hiccory, and lime. The oak grows tall and straight;
but all the trees grow tall and straight in these forests. I spend what
time I can spare in examining the trees and plants that are new to me; I
wish my botanical friend Miss Perceval was here to assist me.--We have a
great deal of the moss, or rather the tillandsia, about which you
inquire; it hangs from almost every tree, and we saw it in quantities
along the banks of the St. Lawrence, before we reached Quebec. The
captain of our vessel told us it was used in the States to stuff beds;
and that he had carried some home to his wife for the same purpose.
* * * * *
“_July 1st._--I must give you a sketch of the manner in which we pass
our time. Mr. * * * goes out at five, and returns to breakfast at seven;
he then works at his farm till twelve, when dinner is ready; after which
he rests some time, and again works till eight, when I summon him to
coffee. Household cares and preparations occupy me all the morning, and
teaching the children, and working for them, the rest of the day. After
they go to bed I have a nice hour for writing or reading.
“It is the custom for the ladies in this country to dress in the morning
very plainly, and suited to the hard work in which we must all take a
part; after dinner they put on silk gowns and smart caps, and either go
out to pay visits, or stay at home to receive them. But we live in such
perfect solitude in these woods, that we have no neighbours to go to, or
to expect here. We are going on as yet with smiling prospects, and doing
something every day that tends to our comfort; but we must be contented
to advance very slowly.
“In spite of every effort, my thoughts too often turn to dear _home_ and
to former times, or sometimes they take a far stretch forward; but these
are only airy visions which I do not encourage. Yet I cannot help
praying that we may be permitted to meet again in a few years. I fear
setting my heart too much on this, but I trust to the support of
Providence under every disappointment, and under every trial. Trials we
must have in all places, still more in these dreary woods.”
* * * * *
_29th._--I heard lately that several of those greenhouse plants which
are natives of swamps, if planted in a pond, the bottom of which never
freezes, would grow as well as if in their own country: I have therefore
asked permission to try this experiment, and my aunt let me have a plant
of the long-leaved _amaryllis_, and one of the Ethiopian _calla_. We
broke the pots they were in, that the roots might not be disturbed, and
then put them into small open baskets, with a fresh compost round them.
My uncle had places made in the bottom of the pond, which is about two
feet deep, and the baskets were plunged into them, and the soil at the
bottom drawn close round.
The gardener thinks the salt dross has been effectual in destroying the
wire-worm in my carnation beds; so last week he added a small quantity
of sharp sand, and then the beds were dug, and raked nicely for
planting. Yesterday and this morning I have been busy planting out my
layers, and as I stirred the ground with my scoop trowel, I could
perceive no traces of my old enemies.
A few weeks ago I raked off half the layer of peat earth, with which I
had covered my ixia, gladiolus, and oxalis beds, to preserve them from
the frosts; I have now raked off the other half, and the beds being
carefully forked up, I hope in May to have some nice flowers there.
This is a most busy time in the garden, forking and dressing the
borders, mending the edgeings, earthing up peas and beans--continually
watching and defending the blossoms of the wall fruit, pruning trees,
preparing hot-beds, and sowing cauliflower, lettuce, onion, broccoli,
radishes, &c. &c., and in _our_ garden, planting out flowers and
removing offsets; dressing and protecting the beds of spring flowers
that are going to blossom, and sowing sundry annuals. In short,
everything is alive, and everybody anxious not to lose a moment while
the weather is so favourable.
_30th._--I have been reading all the accounts I could find of ants; and
am surprised to find how many curious circumstances there are in the
history of some of the species of this country, and of France.
Frederick knew where there was an ant-hill, and took me there, when they
began to revive on a sunny day, a few weeks since. We observed numbers
coming out of the ground, as if roused by the warmth, and assembling in
crowds on the top of their nest; they were in continual motion, walking
over it and even over one another, and yet without quitting the spot.
This lasted for a few days, and then they began to repair the upper
stories of their dwelling, which had been spoiled by rain and snow. We
frequently watch them, and they appear to be incessantly engaged at this
work till it is quite dark.
They certainly give us an example of perseverance; but their foresight
in laying up a store of grain for winter is now considered to be an
unfounded idea; for they are nearly torpid during the winter, and do not
require provisions. May it not be said, however, that they shew
forethought and contrivance in regard to their friends the aphides,
which I mentioned sometime ago in my journal?
The yellow ant, for instance, which seldom leaves its home, and likes to
have its comforts within reach, usually collects in its nest a large
_herd_ of a kind of aphis, that derives its nutriment from the roots of
grass. These are conveyed by subterranean galleries into the nest, so
that, without going out, it has a constant supply of food. The ants
bestow as much care on these little milch-cows as on their own
offspring, and pay particular attention to their eggs, moistening them
with their tongue, carrying them tenderly in their mouth, and placing
them in the sun to be hatched. When Frederick opened one of the
ant-hills, we observed a parcel of these little black eggs very near the
surface; and the ants were so distressed at our visit, that they
immediately began to carry the eggs to the inside of the nest. By
hatching these eggs early, they provide future food for their own
families; and I am sure that is shewing forethought. This aphis yields a
great quantity of that sweet fluid of which the ants are so fond; it
flows from two hair-like tubes, placed one on each side, and the ants,
who watch for the moment when it is ready, suck it down immediately. It
is said, that the ants can make the aphides yield this fluid at any
time by patting them with their antennæ; and when they have milked one
of their little cows, they go to another.
As to all the varieties of the tropical ants, the inhabitants of South
America know but too much of them already; but I must tell you of a use
to which, in another country, their nests have been applied, and which
you could scarcely have guessed. In the southern part of Africa, they
raise solid nests of clay, in shape like a baker’s oven. The Caffres,
when first permitted to settle at Gnadenthal, one of the Moravina
settlements, converted these tumuli into ovens. Having expelled the
inhabitants by smoke, they scooped them out hollow, leaving a crust of a
few inches in thickness; and then used them for baking their loaves. The
clay of which these nests are formed is so well prepared by those
industrious animals, that it is used for floors of rooms by the
Hottentots, and even by the Dutch farmers.
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