The Backwoods of Canada

The Backwoods of Canada

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Title: The Backwoods of Canada Being Letters From The Wife Of An Emigrant Officer, Illustrative Of The Domestic Economy Of British America
Author: Catharine Parr Traill
Release Date: September 30, 2004 [EBook #13559]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BACKWOODS OF CANADA ***

Produced by E.D. (Tedd) Brien

B A C K W O O D S O F C A N A D A =====================================
UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE DIFFUSION OF USEFUL INFORMATION
THE LIBRARY OF ENTERTAINING KNOWLEDGE
BACKWOODS OF CANADA.
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THE LIBRARY OF ENTERTAINING KNOWLEDGE
THE
BACKWOODS OF CANADA
BEING
LETTERS FROM THE WIFE OF AN
EMIGRANT OFFICER,
ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE DOMESTIC ECONOMY OF BRITISH AMERICA.
[Catharine Parr Traill]
LONDON: CHARLES KNIGHT, 22, LUDGATE STREET.
MDCCCXXXVI.
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LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, 14, CHARING CROSS.
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CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION
LETTER I.--Departure from Greenock in the Brig Laurel.--Fitting up of the Vessel.--Boy Passenger.--Sea Prospect.--Want of Occupation and Amusement.--Captain's Goldfinch
LETTER II.--Arrival off Newfoundland.--Singing of the Captain's Goldfinch previous to discovery of Land.--Gulf of St. Laurence.--Scenery of the River St. Laurence.--Difficult navigation of the River.--French Fisherman engaged as Pilot.--Isle of Bic.--Green Island.--Regular Pilot engaged.--Scenery of Green Island.--Gros Isle.--Quarantine Regulations. --Emigrants on Gros Isle.--Arrival off Quebec.--Prospect of the City and Environs
LETTER III.--Departure from Quebec.--Towed by a Steam-vessel.--Fertility of the Country.--Different Objects seen in sailing up the River.--Arrival off Montreal.--The Rapids
LETTER IV.--Landing at Montreal.--Appearance of the Town.--Ravages of the Cholera.--Charitable Institutions in Montreal.--Conversation at the Hotel.--Writer attacked with the Cholera.--Departure from Montreal in a Stage-coach.--Embark at Lachine on board a Steam-vessel. Mode of travelling alternately in Steam-vessels and Stages.--Appearance of the Country.--Manufactures.--Ovens at a distance from the Cottages.--Draw- wells.--Arrival at Cornwall.--Accommodation at the Inn.--Departure from Cornwall, and Arrival at Prescott.--Arrival at Brockville.--Ship-launch there.--Voyage through Lake Ontario.--Arrival at Cobourg
LETTER V.--Journey from Cobourg to Amherst.--Difficulties to be encountered on first settling in the Backwoods.--Appearance of the Country.--Rice Lake.--Indian Habits.--Voyage up the Otanabee.--Log- house, and its Inmates.--Passage boat.--Journey on foot to Peterborough
LETTER VI.--Peterborough.--Manners and Language of the Americans.-- Scotch Engineman.--Description of Peterborough and its Environs.-- Canadian Flowers.--Shanties.--Hardships suffered by first Settlers.-- Process of establishing a Farm
LETTER VII.--Journey from Peterborough.--Canadian Woods.--Waggon and Team.--Arrival at a Log-house on the Banks of a Lake.--Settlement, and first Occupations
LETTER VIII.--Inconveniences of first Settlement.--Difficulty of obtaining Provisions and other necessaries.--Snow-storm and Hurricane.-- Indian Summer, and setting-in of Winter.--Process of clearing the Land
LETTER IX.--Loss of a yoke of Oxen.--Construction of a Log-house.-- Glaziers' and Carpenters' work.--Description of a new Log-house.--Wild Fruits of the Country.--Walks on the Ice.--Situation of the House.--Lake and surrounding Scenery
LETTER X.--Variations in the Temperature of the Weather.--Electrical Phenomenon.--Canadian Winter.--Country deficient in Poetical Associations.--Sugar-making.--Fishing season.--Mode of Fishing.--Duck- shooting.--Family of Indians.--Papouses and their Cradle-cases.-- Indian Manufactures.--Frogs
LETTER XI.--Emigrants suitable for Canada.--Qualities requisite to ensure Success.--Investment of Capital.--Useful Articles to be brought out.--Qualifications and Occupations of a Settler's Family.--Deficiency of Patience and Energy in some Females.--Management of the Dairy.-- Cheese.--Indian Corn, and its Cultivation.--Potatoes.--Rates of Wages
LETTER XII.--"A Logging Bee."--Burning of the Log-heaps.--Crops for the Season.--Farming Stock.--Comparative Value of Wheat and Labour.--Choice of Land, and relative Advantages.--Clearing Land.--Hurricane in the Woods.--Variable Weather.--Insects
LETTER XIII.--Health enjoyed in the rigour of Winter.--Inconvenience suffered from the brightness of the Snow.--Sleighing.--Indian Orthography.--Visit to an Indian Encampment.--Story of an Indian.--An Indian Hunchback.--Canadian Ornithology
LETTER XIV.--Utility of Botanical Knowledge.--The Fire-Weed.-- Sarsaparilla Plants.--Magnificent Water Lily.--Rice Beds.--Indian Strawberry.--Scarlet Columbine.--Ferns.--Grasses
LETTER XV.--Recapitulation of various Topics.--Progress of Settlement.-- Canada, the Land of Hope.--Visit to the Family of a Naval Officer.-- Squirrels.--Visit to, and Story of, an Emigrant Clergyman.--His early Difficulties.--The Temper, Disposition, and Habits of Emigrants essential Ingredients in Failure or Success
LETTER XVI.--Indian Hunters.--Sail in a Canoe.--Want of Libraries in the Backwoods.--New Village.--Progress of Improvement.--Fire flies
LETTER XVII.--Ague.--Illness of the Family.--Probable Cause.--Root- house.--Setting-in of Winter.--Insect termed a "Sawyer."--Temporary Church
LETTER XVIII.--Busy Spring.--Increase of Society and Comfort.-- Recollections of Home.--Aurora Borealis
APPENDIX
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ILLUSTRATIONS. 1. Falls of Montmorenci 2. Rice Grounds 3. Sleigh-driving 4. Silver Pine 5. Spruce 6. Log-house 7. Log-village.--Arrival of Stage-coach 8. Road through a Pine Forest 9. Newly-cleared Land 10. Chart showing the Interior Navigation of the Districts of Newcastle and Upper Canada 11. Papouses 12. Green Frogs 13. Bull-frog 14. The Prairie 15. Red-bird 16. Blue-bird 17. Snow-Bunting 18. Baltimore Oriole defending her Nest against the Black Snake 19. Red Squirrels 20. Flying Squirrel

INTRODUCTION
AMONG the numerous works on Canada that have been published within the last ten years, with emigration for their leading theme, there are few, if any, that give information regarding the domestic economy of a settler's life, sufficiently minute to prove a faithful guide to the person on whose responsibility the whole comfort of a family depends-- the mistress, whose department it is "to haud the house in order."
Dr. Dunlop, it is true,