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PRACTICAL NOTES
MADE Dt:RING A
TOUR IN
CANADA,
A.ND A PORTION OF THE UNITED STATES,
IN :MDCCCXXXI.
BY ADA:\>! FERGUSSON,
OF WOODHILL; AD\'OCATE·
DEDICATED BY PER3USSION TO
THE HIGHLAND SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND.
"VIDI."
WILLIAl\I BLACKWOOD, EDINBURGH; AND
T. CADELL, STRAND, LONDON.
MDCCCXX...I
."X.I I.
�(
104
lOii
PAI.LS OP NJAGAllA.
6tuu to Niagara is about seven miles, and I sauuterti<l on the whole way, the co ach not overtaking me.
About four miles from the l<'al111, the sound came upon my ear li e the murmur of Old Ocean on a
k
CHAPTER IX.
fo'alls of
York-Au R.1·1m,orAn1cri,,
Nc1rnrk - 'l'hc 1Vhite Pis/; of the
Niagara-Journey to
Post-Chai>c-
-Town of
l.ak�
York-<fovcrnmcnt-llousc.
Friday, 1llay 6.-After breakfast. I took leave .,1
my
tht
foU0_.
friend, and walked on fo1· the .Falls, lea v i ng
stage, iu whid1 I had S(>cnred
The day was ddightfol, and
h ill from Queeustou,
as
11
p l ac e, to
I ascend ed the
¥lee:�
79th in charge of the baggage-waggou�, leanin
his
musket,
tbe
I o v erto o k a soldier of
and wrapt in ad m iration of the
g
1111
tillr.
round ing scenery: " It's mair like Scotlaud, Sir,�
<my tlting I've seen sin' I
was the poor fel.
[;;ft it,"
low ' s 1·emark, urn! truly it
was
for from miisappli�
e
The
sett}�
making due allowauce fo 1· difference of s cal .
country from Queenston to the Falls is well
and finely diversified by farms, orcha1·ds, and open
forest.
Thu s oil is pei·haps
light,
of a stronge1· description, aud all
but in 1m111u plat4!t
apparently
fortile
desirable laud. A ve1·y beautiful prope1·ty, origi1141
.
ly laid out by the ill-fated Duke of Uichmond, lllld
1mbsequently possessed by Sir Pereg1·ine l\faitla
adjoins the road.
nd,
The house, which is in the cot.
tage style, of wood, 1>ee1us large and commodiou.,
Tbis e s tat u is in a very favourable situation, and liaa
about 45()
The di st an ce froo1 Quec11•
been l ately sold for L.2000; it contains
acre11 of good useful laud.
d
In certain states of tbe atmosphere
rugged st1·an .
is
heard at a much greater distance.
this
nd
an d wi
The noise
iprny was
h
h
y- and- y the
grad ually increased, and
to he seen rising in columns above the
s1,Iundid and e x ten s i ve establishment wus It-Â
trees. A
won afte1· recognised as 1',or sy th ' s hotel, and, nuder
el n s fa1· m ore intense than or d i n ary curios i t y, I
fe i g
wiml to 11 point, where Niagara, in all its
hurried for
in view.
From the increasing facility
e
m
ca
ory,
gl
now-a-days, thi s wonder of th e world
of 111igrating
bail lost somewhat of t hat mysterious h al o with
i c it
wh h
rvcr
be
was
wont to
Niagara.
he e n velope d ;
but sti ll it must
Thu most e l oq uen t descriptions
just
dequate to conv ey a
conception of
will prO\'e ina
No1·
can
the
pencil,
I
i
m
a
iue , e\'er do
g
the scene.
it justice.
A
iaintcr's art
!ure.
The
)
cataract may be said (as re gar ds the
j
to differ from all other ob ects in 1mÂ
human face and figure, thu rich and
dscn1>e, the an i m al and vegetable woi·ld,
varied lan
piay wi th sufficient Jll'Opriety he delineated at rest,
forms no feature bere. The cease·
but 11uiescence
le•• roar, tlw spray m ountin g like cl ouds of smoke
frolll 11 giant limekiln, with the enormous sheet of
rolls ove1· the p1·ecipice, can Le felt and
water which
unJe1·;;tood onl y by repe ated visits to the scene. l\fy
1· a tinw 1listracted by tlie i·apidis
attention was fo
e ly interesting, aud which with any
em
r
ext
are
which
�106
PALLS OP NIAGAHA.
FALI,S OF NIAGAllA.
othei· neig·hbour than the Falls would excite the high.
est admiration an<l wo nder.
After
tinrn spent
some
in contemplation, I proceeded to my fricu<ls, where
kiud aud comfortable home awaited me. Mr C.
a
possesses a residence, which is certainl y oue of the
most r om an tic domiciles iu the world.
stands
small lawn upon
011 a
rapids, and about half
.Fall.
a
a
The hou8e
poi n t overhaug·ing
the
mile above the Horse-Sholl
The garden is behi nd, washed by a fine
of the river, which encircles
a
lirauch
wild a111l thickly wood.
ed island, and on every side new and interesting
prospects appear.
The ri ver is a mile across, and of
great depth, and, for the same distance above the
:Falls, is oue continued sheet of foam.
We saunter.
e<l down iu the e\'euing to the river side, and the
rjtpids lost nothing by a clo.oer inspection.
l\Iy bed.
room looked directly upo n them ; I could watch the
smoke of the Fall, eveu as I lay on my pillow; and
with the wi ld roar of the cataract sounding iu
ears, I closed my first day at Niag·ara.
my
The following morning proved fine, and we devot.
ed the fore110011 to the Falls. Lake Erie had ju8t
broke n
up, and
rapids, in
the icebergs came crashing down the
way extremely interesting.
My frienda
bei11g quite at home in all the mazes of the riv er side,
conducte1l
a
me
by
a
wild and rugged route to
the
edge of the Table-rock, when, upon emerging from
a
tangled brake, I beheld the Horse-shoe or great
Br iti sh Fall, pouring dowu its \'olurne of ice and
water, at tho distance of a few foet from where we
stood.
•
Tho rock folt to mo
as
though it
vihrated,
and
a
large mass did in
fact
107
lately give way, soon
from the precarious stance.
after a party had retired
It j,; li mesto ne , full of ugly fissures and ren ts . A
narrow wooden stair conducts adventurous travellers
ttom of the Fall, w h e r e a so rt of entrance
to the bo
ly effected to a short distance under the
ral
ne
is ge
for whicl1 performance a certificato, in due
d
an
sheet,
The stair was at this time unÂ
out.
rved
s
r
se
i
m,
fo
n of ice below perÂ
accumulatio
the
and
r,
pai
der re
pretensions to such
waive
to
me
reconciled
c
fe tly
At some distance below the Fall,
honours.
ery
U
, pp
site to the American staircase, there is a
and oppo
a safe and most romantic carriageÂ
ferry, to which
road has been lately formed, out of the solid rock,
111uall labour aud expense. When a similar 11£Â
tion shall have been provided upon the
moda
c:oni
side, it ii> expected to prove a lucrative
merican
,A
at
110
cern, but for the present, foot-pa3sengers only
c-0n
Tim littl e skiff had just
can be lan d e d in the States.
lf, with a party from the Canada shore, a11d got
u
p t o
in streams of ice, in a way somewhat haÂ
involved
dous, and which rendered it impossible for the
iar
The scene from the Ferry is
to return.
boatman
magnificent, the Horse-shoe, the American
indeed
Goat Isla11d being all in view, with the
al
F l , and
eddying iu fearful and end less turÂ
great cauldron
In the enming I w al ked up the river side toÂ
moil.
wards the village of Chippeway, to visit a natural
on Mr C.'s estate. A Rpring surcharged
turiosity up
d hydrogen gas rises within a few
with sulpl111rette
building is erected over
paces of the river. A small
'
·:
·��
�JOB
it, and when
•'ALU1 OF NIAGARA.
a
candle is applil'd to the
tube in a bar.
rel, which enc1 o se s the sp1·i11g, a brilliant and
power.
fol light is evolved.
<-:lose adjoining, are the re.
m11i11s of extt.>nsive milh1 burnt by the Am
ericaii.
durin g last war. The water privilege is
great and
,
machine1·y to u�1y extent might be kept in
play ,
Canada, for many a year to come, should ha
ve
little to do with manufacturing estalJlishme
nts. llet
resources, duly foster1�d, should he e mploy
ed in tht
production of food fo1· the artizan s of Brita
in, and
thus enable them to maintain their g1·ound n the
i
fon?ign marke t .
Neither should om· agriculturi
ste
at home he too much startled at 11uch a pros ect
aa,
p
,
happl'n what may, our landed interest can
never pro,.
per wltile our maniifacturing interests decay.
Should
some thousand spinning-jennies, howm'er a
, t a r...
ture day, here commence operntion.i, hel10l
d a ga.
l!lom e ter both economical and effective pr vid
o
ed.
Springs o f this description are by no means r
re ia
a
the Vanadas and Stutes.
Some l1uve been dis<>
Qver.
t•d near Canandaigua of great p ower , and
the pro.
prietor of the form, annoyed by hosts of vis
itoi·s it
,
the prudcut spirit of tu rning all to acco un t hae
,
opened a tavern for the mutual benefit of th
e puhlie
and himself.
The suction occasioned by the rapidity and
depth
of the stream, extends far abo v e the Falls, an d ren.
del'S it necessary to use the utmost caution i n na,j.
gating canoes or boats.
Jost 1;ome time ago, in
the
river, and Mr
C.
a
A servant of l\Ir C. was
nocturnal expedition
detailed to
me
JO!)
.101:1n;gy ·ro YOHK.
ncr081
an adventure of
which, though somewhat l udicro us , was
with hazard. He had gone out
r�rt11i11ly
.fi�hin!( with a young man in his employment, late•
1
in tlw cou n tr y, ancl finding the boat rat h e r
Ir arrin•tl
in the vo1·tex than was pleasant, they pulled
bl�
own,
11ttemled
�orl'
f.,r 9hurl', in doing which, his comp;mion, by some
•ss, let slip his oar, and in mitking an efÂ
• .-kwardll(
some mental agitation to re c over it, the
fort mult!r
visage of a d rowned man pre,,ented
oat
palo• 111111 hl ed
;.,..If, 1·lo�c to the boat, dissipating what little selfÂ
""'�t'1'•ion the poor lad retained. Mr C., ho wever,
l
t, soon got the boat out of the fatal curbr 111 1·tfc•r
pu
and t ull to ri ghts .
day; l\lay 9, I left my kind friends for ;¥-·
l'pon l\[on
th«' purpose of visiting York, and the country to the
,;111,
.,,.., of it.
The moming was cold, and
the
wind
a
-"'ester, accompanied by showers of snow.
;harp uorth
it \\'II� not a stage-day for Newark, I ordered an
•
A
the same t hing with taking a post.•
f(ltrtl, which is
ened that 2!!! Forsyth... the landlord
happ
It
..flaite.
l' P11vilio11, had occasi o n to go dow n al so, and
h
J t
snugly
11th«'ll I entei·ed my extra, I foun<l hi m very
coimtconced in a corner. To a man from the old
f'ft
b
an,
lr1· thi� was s om e thin g new ; ut the old gentlem
to
be
seem
ed an apology, did not
h
wtiil•� e offer
·
mat
the
that
think
1t1nrh 11i,.1·omposcd, and I rat.her
not cou�idered of much moment. 'Vithin a
nally, to do the
wf'l'k I wns mrC'lf lcil, unintentio
practice
of u;;;ing
iling
g, through the preva
••nil' thin
travelling,
private
and
c
oadws, for pnhli
ahl' 11an1e c
h11t oceasion the part y 1·eceived both myt
1
•11
and np
tt'f' ..-n�
•
�JIO
A�ll�Rl<'AN l'OST-CllAISE.
NE\\' AHif.
self and my explanation with tho utmost good bu.
monr, frankness, and ease.
l\Iy
c o m pan io n
it1 pro.
pri<•tor of tho large hotel at tho Falls, mentioned by
every tourist, and is a personage suffi ciently shrewd
and well i n f o rmed. Be told mo tl1at his father had
been one of the original settlers in the district, and
h:ul migrated from the Genesee country. The change
a few years seems to him nearly marvell
ou8•
Often, he said, has he been racoon-hnnting where ii
within
now to be
seen the Lnsy town of llochcster, wi
th
farms and villages innumerable, when he was we
ll
aware that no human being could be within a
hu11•
dred mile� of him, save pediaps some wandering
In.
dian. l\lr F. may be said to have satisfactorily fu
l.
filled one duty of a coloni�t, by no means 1111import.
ant.
When I inquired of him, whether h is farn
ily
�· '·Vhy," says he, " Sir,
I don't
was numerous,
-. ·
,kno,�·Jmt �1 call numerous
;
J''Ve raised nineteen,
�r..first wifo, and nine.Jiy rny
s eco n d. "
We
passed many excellent farms and beautiful orchards
in this stage of sixteen miles.
The day continued
stormy, and ultimately the gale became so viole
nt,
that the steamer for York could not venture out. A
lull was looked for towards evening, and I had 00•
thi11g for it but to saimter about the neighbourho
od
until the di1111er hour at Kreysler's hotel. In
con.
nexion wit.h the Amei·ican Fort, Newark becnm
�
some years ago the scene of a tragical mystery, wh
ich
has kindled an extraordinary flame in every St
ate of
the Union.
We are accustomed iu Britain to co
n.
sider Free
Masonry
as a
mere
excuse
for convivial
rcl11xatio11
;
'.�
.,
�
�
i i1 •
111
t�.i�j};!,
i . • \'i
·1.'�
hut it has of late assumed a very differÂ
doubt the 11)1·
ent aspect lwre, and although no
mngistrat.e
chief
the
electing
of
period
prllaching
must he
it
still
vigour,
peculiar
it
ive
g
iencl� to
all <t'JCstions of a pubÂ
reckoned the pivot on which
puhlic journals snf·
The
turn.
present
at
11re
lic 1111t
ridently evince the l! xcitement of the puhlic mind,
consec1uences have followed no ma11
iuHI that baneful
made acqmtinted with the fate of
is
who
y,
t·un den
Cuptnin Morgan. This unhappy man h a ving .lieÂ
ohnoxions to the hrethren, because lie either
promulgated the secrets
had or was believed to have
a plan was concocted to puni�h his trmiraft,
c
e
of th
''Vhether the
a signal example.
00, and make him
come
5
his death, or only
scheme originally contemplated
ex actl y appear,
not
does
America,
from
oval
em
hi� r
he was inveigled under
hut it is beyond a doubt, that
he lias never been
that
Niagara,
to
s
t
x
e
t
re
p
s
n
o
v11ri
i1e<>n nor heard of since September 1826, and that,
reason to believe that, when
in fact, there is every
its dead, poor Morgan will
u
give
ll
i;hu
p
o
ari
Ont
judgment against his murÂ
in
depths,
its
from
rise
a melancholy tale, and fraught with
is
t
I
rs.
Jt>re
to the Americans. A t
111 atters of vital importance
that after sundry atrecord,
n
o
stands
it
ur
ho
s
thi
to justice, the arm of the
culprits
the
bring
to
ts
1p
11.11
no jury has heen found to
law has been palsied, and
which might have been
too,
evidence,
upou
ct,
vi
,.011
med rcasonahly conclusive, while one most emi·
.tl•c•
of New York, has deÂ
111ent lawyer in the State
nounced the jurors for " utterly disregarding their
i
I
"11
'111
.. ,:;'fa
' 1IT:
·��
\
tlf:
". ["
; .
' ·:;;;
��
!:
'°''
'(\i
�l l2
duty and their oath,"
datiou of
justice
ad ding
is polluted."
that the " very foun .
Let the
to it ere the hom· goes by, when
itafoly applied
to
a
so frightful an evil.
nation
re medy
loo
may
k
be
Among other good things upon our dinner-table,
we were regale1l with the
a de.
celchmted wl1itefisl1,
licacy which,
"
as
Charle\'Oix has long since remarked,
n othing of the fish kind can
I belie ve, to the
and, so fa1· as I
North
know,
t.h yological writcrl'!.
lie
a
11omlesc1·i11t.
e x cel ."
It is peculiar,
American li1kes and rh·ers
,
has not been described by ich.
Some naturalists con sider it
sp<'cies
of
white, and resembh•s tlw most gelatinous part
turhot, but considemhl y i·icher.
to
The flesh i1
Salmo.
of the
The fish is taken
with hook and l i n e , fre1pwntly at
a
lwle in the ice,
being then in highest perfection, mul mn� from three
to eight pounds
weig ht .
Tlwre is a coatiug of fat
along the back, little inferior in
est butter.
fla\'Our to the rich.
d
About nine o'clock I was summoned on board, an
afte1· took possession of n sofa for the night.
soon
\\'e took our departm·e ahout twelve, and at sunl'ise
next moming were
shon!,
jn4
approaching the 11orth1·ru
York is the seat of government in the up1wr
prm·ince, and
a
large p(•11i11!>11la form,;
a
spacious and
safe harlJOur, tliu Larracks, pnlilic lmildi11gs, &c. mak.
ing
a
very respectable appearance as you enter the
After lireakfast at the hotel, where an hiNh
gentlemnn and I got a comfortable sitting-room, with
hay.
our bed-rooms adjoining, I p1·oceede<l to delirn1· let.
ters, and waited upon Sir ,Tohu Colbome, <ll'ernor
g
•
113
'J'OWN OF YORK.
WUITJ> FISU OF ·rHE J.AJH:s.
..,f the upper province. I found the govemmentÂ
bouse, scion le 1·egle, at the west end of the capital.
h
is
a
commodious irregular
mansion,
u
of wooJ, with
�
The p bli c apart 1e11ts are
ubb�ries, &c.
lflll'Jen, shr
,ufficientl y spac10us and h andsome, and not.lung could
he atfalile and easy demeanour of Sir .John.
exceed t
myself to offer an
t is not for a bird of passage
I
o inion upon matters of state, but I am greatlr d�Â
p
I
I
like
rdred
atnl to promote the prosperity of tl1e pr o v i nc e, and
sound and clear vir.ws, as rnganls its reÂ
JOtl se ss ed of
He favoured me with a pretty
and wanti;.
s
�olo urgceinterview,
and then gave me a note to J\lr RoÂ
n
ho is at the head of the government lnndÂ
binson, w
"ftii:c, and from whom I read l y received every attenÂ
information in his power.
iion and
}ly next visit was t.o the office of the Canada
i
Coiupany,
where I
found
ityle, when recounting the progress and adv1�nturus
The Carnuln ComÂ
s in the back woods.
of settler
think, is calculated to fo r wa rd tlw
uld
sho
I
•
pllDY
of the colony, although there m·c·
•neral iutm·ests
nly those who think otherwise; and if it shall
�·rttainue
to he prudently admini�tered, will in time
t'tln i
rield handsome returns.
The
exertions
made
to
transport and settlement of emigrants,
adlitnte the
eral
terms held out, can not
to secure
and the lib
the
I
·�@
. :(·
�:1:
:l;�
the commissioners commuÂ
niflllive and truly obliging. Dr D -- , who arts as
the forests, has spent much time in their
,.·artlen of
d�ptlis, and gives t he seria mixtaJoci,s iu the happiest
f
•,�
if Sir John is not fraught with the utmos t
fail
confidence and good-will of intending settlers.
II
'i,
'·l':;:
.:·i
·-
'.;/io;
�114
in
the evening at the govemment-housl',
The party was rather numerous, and <1uite as agrt-e.
I dined
ahle
Sir John in.
as such affairs commonly prove.
tro duced me to Dr B
--,
particu.
as a gentleman
Jarly able to gi ve me information n pon the state of
the prov ince ; a character which he folly redeemed
h;
both then , and during a long visit with which
ho11011re1l
me
l lii
TOWN (ff YOHK.
'!'OWN 0}' YORK·
on the following morn in�.
I may men.
(
and
I
certainly do so from no disrepect to him, hnt as illus.
trating good sense 1111d liberal foeli n gs in the go.
tio n by the way, reg·arding this gentleman
vernor), that, while he was marked by no exclusio
n
from the h ospital ity and p rivate esteem of Sir
John
�
he was yet remarked as frequently opposed tog
vernment measures; and I con sider it a trait oftempe,
and tact upon the one band, and of
di s creti on
independence upon the other, well deserving of
and
u nrity; but as politics came very little wi thin the
p l
�phere of my inquiries, I cannot vouch for the accuÂ
racy of my information. That discontent and factio
n
i•)'.ist in the province, is to say no more than that the
b
!(uvernment of C anada resem les all other human
but that any tangihle grievance is perÂ
in�ti tutions,
intained,
must, I should think, be more
ma
nirsely
T
h
e
inhahitants
possess the means of
ubtful.
than do
sol
i
much
d
happiness
as
as any nation on
enjoying
Mr H-- , the solicito1·-general, assured me,
er turbulent or discontented individuals
wev
thut ho
a
been
prior to their arrival in the province,
ve
may h
plenty
soon work wonders on those who
and
t•omfort
du
s
t
r
habits, and l o yalty and goodÂ
ious
in
iU"IJ of
,•ar th .
humour
s p eedi
l y follow.
re.
Were such instances more frequent, fewer
changes in governments would he n�quired, and th
�
public service would p robabl y be e�s1.•ntially pro.
ganl.
moted.
The government of Upper C anada is adnii
.
a legislative conn.
nistered by a lieutenant-governor,
cil, of not less than seven memhl'rs, nppointed
by
mandamus from the king, and holding tlwir situatio
n
for lifo; of an uxccntiv e council, of not fewer th
llll
,
six; and of a House of Assem bly bei11g twenty.fi�
t
m embers returned by the respective counties. Th
,
demon ofdiscord is n o stranger her e and his
e
MaJesty',
<Yflposition claim notice in the Assembly of York,
ho
1111<lerstood government measures to be gaining
po.
less than in the
h all
of St Stephen's.
At present
I
n2
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Louis McDermott Collection
Subject
The topic of the resource
Local history, Fort Erie and surrounding area.
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of historical documents, photos, news clippings, letters, and writings, assembled by local historian, Louis McDermott, and donated to the Fort Erie Public Library.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Louis McDermott
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
FEPL-LH -Louis McDermott
Language
A language of the resource
English
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Included in this collection are writings, historical documents, news clippings, images, maps, and more. They were written and compiled by Louis McDermott into a series of binders. The digital collection has been scanned from these physical copies.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Fort Erie Public Library and Louis McDermott
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Tour in Canada
Description
An account of the resource
Listed here is a document titled "Practical Notes Made While during a Tour of Canada" by Adam Fergesson.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Louis McDermott Collection
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Undated
Fort Erie
Louis Mcdermott Collection
undated