Volume II Part 26 (1/2)
”_At a distance of four miles by water, that is at the Crow Lake, in the towns.h.i.+p of Belmont, Newcastle District, the princ.i.p.al ore bed occurs_.
I may confine my observations respecting this ore bed to the qualities and varieties of the ores to be found there, and of the extent of the deposit give you an idea, by fancying my feelings when I first saw the mountain. My surprise was great, and _my first conclusion was, that it would be more than sufficient to supply the world with iron for ever_.
The ore here is in great variety of magnetic ore, easily quarried and, in fact, it can be quarried, loaded, and transported to the works, roasted on the ore bank, broken up into particles, and put upon the furnace, at an expense not exceeding 2 s.h.i.+llings 0 pence per ton; as I observed it is strongly magnetic, and although mixed considerably with sulphur, it is easily freed from that deleterious mineral by exposure to the atmosphere, and to the action of air and frost, and by this species of evaporation, a new and valuable commodity could be procured in great quant.i.ties, namely, the copperas of commerce.
”With a boat of fifty tons burthen--and there is depth of water enough for a 74 gun s.h.i.+p from the wharf at the works, to this mountain of ore-- navigated by four men, 150 tons of ore could be brought down in two days--so readily is it quarried, and so handily put on board.
Intermediate to this bed and the works, several other deposites of iron are discovered--one of a superior quality, surpa.s.sing in magnetic power any other ore yet discovered, possessing what mineralogists call polarity--and near to this, meadow and bog ore, not a mile distant from the works, is to be found in great quant.i.ties. The works are to the north-north-east and eastward, surrounded by beds of ore, of which five have been tried and brought into use--but as they are inland, and consequently more expensively procured, they merit but this pa.s.sing observation, that in quant.i.ty and quality they are valuable.
”For the present I am, Sir,
”Your obedient servant,--_Engineer_”
VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER THREE.
THE CANADAS, CONTINUED.
To one who has a general knowledge of the various English colonies, to which emigration is constantly taking place, it appears very strange that people should emigrate to such countries as New South Wales, Van Dieman's Land, and New Zealand, when Upper Canada is comparatively so near to them, and affording every advantage which a settler could wish.
Of course the persuasion of interested parties, and their own ignorance, prevent them from ascertaining the truth. Indeed, the reports upon Upper Canada are occasionally as highly coloured as those relative to other colonies, and nothing but an examination of the country, I may say a certain period of residence in it, can enable you to ascertain the real merits of the case. I have neither land nor interest in Upper Canada, and, therefore, my evidence on the question may be considered as impartial; and I do not hesitate to a.s.sert that Upper Canada promises more advantages to the settler than any other English colony, or any portion whatever of the United States.
I shall now make a few remarks upon emigration to that province, and point out what the settler will have to expect. I have read many works upon the subject; they are very inaccurate, and hold out to the emigrant brilliant prospects, which are seldom or never realised. The best work, independently of its merits as a novel, is ”Laurie Todd,” by Mr Galt.
And first, I address myself to the poor man who goes out with only twenty or thirty pounds in his pocket.
If he credit the works written to induce people to emigrate, all that he has to do is to build his log-hut, clear his land, and in three years be an independent man.
It is true that he can purchase fifty acres of land for one hundred dollars, or twenty-five pounds; that he has only to pay one-tenth part of the sum down, which is two pounds ten s.h.i.+llings sterling. It is true that he will collect a _Bee_, as it is termed, or a gathering of neighbours to run up the frame of his house; but, nevertheless, possessing his fifty acres of land and his log-house, he will in all probability be starved out the very first year, especially if he has a family.
To a poor man, a family is _eventually_ of immense value. As soon as he has fairly settled, the more children he has the faster he will become rich; but on his first arrival, they will, if not able to work for themselves, be a heavy burthen. If, however, they can do any thing, so as to pay for their board and lodging, he will not be at any expense for them, as there is employment for every body, even for children.
The only article I should recommend him to take out from England is a good supply of coa.r.s.e clothing for his family; if he would take out a venture, let it be _second-hand clothes_, and he will double his money if he sells them by auction, for clothes are the most expensive article in Canada. I once saw some cast-off clothes sold by an acquaintance of mine in Upper Canada; a Jew in England would not have given five pounds for the lot, yet, sold at auction, they cleared twenty-five pounds, all expenses paid. He cannot, therefore, take out too much clothing, but the coa.r.s.er and more common it is the better. Let him supply himself from the old clothes shops, or the cheap stores. New clothes will soon become old when he works hard. Having made this provision, let him buy nothing else; but change his money into sovereigns and keep it in his pocket.
As soon as he arrives at Quebec, he must lose no time in taking the steamboat up the St Lawrence, and landing near to where he has decided upon locating. If he has made no decision, at all events let him leave the city immediately, and get into the country, for there he will get work and spend less money. Instead of thinking of making a purchase of land, let him _give up all thoughts of it for a year or two_; but hire himself out, and his wife and children also, if he can. If he is a good man, he will receive four pounds a month, or forty-eight pounds a year, with his board and lodging. The major part of this he will be able to lay by. If his wife must stay at home to take care of the children, still let her work; work is always to be found, and she may not only support herself and children, but a.s.sist his fund. By the time that he has been eighteen months or two years in the country, he will have his eyes open, know the value of every thing, and will not be imposed upon as he would have been had he taken a farm immediately upon his arrival.
He will have laid by a sufficient sum for him to begin with, and he will have become acquainted with the mode of farming in the country, which is very different from what he has been used to in the old. He may then go on and prosper.
The next description of emigrant settler to which I shall address myself is he who comes out with a small capital, say from two hundred to five hundred pounds; a sum sufficient to enable him to commence farming at once, but not sufficient to allow him to purchase or stock a farm which has a portion of the land already cleared. The government lands fetch at auction about ten s.h.i.+llings an acre, and they are paid for by instalments, one-tenth down, and one-tenth every year, with interest, until the whole be paid; of course, he may pay it all at once, if he pleases, and save the interest. He must not purchase more than four hundred acres. He can always procure more if he is successful. His first instalment to government for the purchase of four hundred acres will be eighty dollars.
His next object is to have a certain portion of his land cleared for him. The price varies according to the size and quant.i.ty of the portion; but you may say, at the highest, it will cost about sixteen dollars an acre. Let him clear ten acres, and then build his house and barns. I will make two estimates, between which he may decide according to his means.
_Estimate_ 1.
+====================================+========+ Dollars.
+------------------------------------+--------+ Instalment to Government 80 +------------------------------------+--------+ s.h.i.+ngle-house 400 +------------------------------------+--------+ Furniture 100 +------------------------------------+--------+ Barns and sheds 400 +------------------------------------+--------+ Ten acres clearing 160 +------------------------------------+--------+ Oxen 80 +------------------------------------+--------+ Cow 20 +------------------------------------+--------+ Pigs and poultry 20 +------------------------------------+--------+ Plough, harrow, etcetera. 20 +------------------------------------+--------+ Seed 50 +------------------------------------+--------+ Horse and wagon 100 +------------------------------------+--------+ About 300 pounds 1,430 +------------------------------------+--------+ To this (if you have no family +------------------------------------+--------+ able to work) for a man and his wife 300 +------------------------------------+--------+ Expenses of living the first year 200 +------------------------------------+--------+ 400 pounds 1930 +====================================+========+
_Estimate_ 2.
+=========================+=======+ Dollars +-------------------------+-------+ Instalment to Government 80 +-------------------------+-------+ Log-house and furniture 100 +-------------------------+-------+ Barn 60 +-------------------------+-------+ Clearing 160 +-------------------------+-------+ Oxen 80 +-------------------------+-------+ Cow 20 +-------------------------+-------+ Pigs and poultry 20 +-------------------------+-------+ Plough, harrow, etcetera. 20 +-------------------------+-------+ Seed 50 +-------------------------+-------+ Horse and wagon 100 +-------------------------+-------+ 150 pounds 690 +=========================+=======+
But choosing between these two estimates, according to his means, that is, by reserving, if possible, one hundred pounds for contingencies, he has every chance of doing well. He must bear in mind, that although every year his means will increase, he must not cripple himself by an outlay of all his money at first starting. After the first year, he will be able to support himself and family from the farm. I have put every thing at the _outside expense_, that he may not be deceived; but he must not expend all his capital at once; his horse or oxen may die-- his crops may partially fail--he may have severe illness--all these contingencies must be provided against.
But the settler who goes out under the most favourable circ.u.mstances, is the one who has one thousand pounds or more, and who can, therefore, purchase a farm of from two hundred to four hundred acres, with a portion cleared, and a house and offices ready built. These are always to be had, for there are people in the Canadas, as in America, who have pleasure in selling their cleared land, and going again into the bush.