| Title: | From Mrs. William Radcliff, Upper Canada, to the Rev. Thomas Radcliff, Dublin. |
|---|---|
| ID | 4550 |
| Collection | Authentic Letters from Upper Canada [Rev. Thomas Radcliff] |
| File | radcliff/8 |
| Year | 1832 |
| Sender | Radcliff, Rebecca |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Adelaide, Upper Canada |
| Destination | Dublin, Ireland |
| Recipient | Rev. Thomas Radcliff |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | daughter-in-law - father-in-law |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 2486 |
| Genre | account of passage, people in the colony, settling |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Adelaide, November, 1832. My dear Mr. R., I promised to let you know our progress from York to this, our final settlement. The moment I was able to travel we commenced our route, by steam-boat, to a very pretty place called Hamilton. The wharf is at least a mile and a-half from the town. In the hope of some conveyance arriving, we sat down on the trunk of a tree, and very shortly a waggon appeared, which, on its nearer approach, we perceived to be that of a gentleman who drove a splendid pair of horses. On our requesting him to send us one from the hotel, when he returned, he made a point of taking us into his, which was very easy, and well constructed, and with the greatest politeness he set us down at the hotel, where we were comfortably accommodated at a moderate charge. The next morning we proceeded by the coach to Brantford. At this village, we hoped to have found the rest of our party, it having been arranged that women and children, the heavy baggage, should remain there whilst the gentlemen went forward to get up their houses for our reception; but our poor friends, who had suffered so much from cholera, were on their arrival at Brantford immediately banished, by the circumstance of an unfortunate gentleman being carried into the hotel, who died in a few hours of that melancholy ailment. We, of course, did not remain behind, but late as it was, procured a waggon to bring us forward ten miles to Burford. This was but a common rough machine, very unlike the smooth, and comfortable one, with which our polite Canadian had supplied us in the morning. The drive was most beautiful; but I could not enjoy it, from the extreme uneasiness of the carriage. We met many Indians of the Mohawk tribe—all on horseback; and we passed a remarkably neat school-house. It was near to this that John Brant, an Indian Chief, lived, and, universally lamented, lately died! Were he in existence, we should experience great attention from him, through the name of our kinsman, who, when a boy in this country, was the cherished play-fellow of John Brant, and when grown up, had an opportunity of being serviceable to the Chief in London, which enhanced his friendship and attachment. Throughout this district he is spoken of by all ranks, and colonies, in the highest terms of veneration and respect. We were comfortably entertained at Burford, and though much fatigued, set forward next morning by break of day for the next tavern, Putnam I think, a distance of forty miles, in the very waggon which had brought our friends there sometime before. This was driven by the owner, Mr. Lyster, a very conversable and well informed person, for his rank in life; but all here consider themselves gentlemen and ladies—and this man, who, I must admit, was not troublesome or forward in his conversation, breakfasted and dined at table with us, without compunction or apology. The farther we proceeded up the country, the more we were gratified by the scenery. The birds, too, are very beautiful; the blue jay and woodpecker, especially—the wild flowers were in greater variety here than at any other stage of the journey—the whole country abounds in sunflowers of gigantic size—there are wild grapes also, which don't ripen till they get frost—and Partridges without number—when you whistle, they stop to listen, and are shot. This came under my own eye. I was much amused at seeing William shaking hands most heartily on the road with a man from whom he was buying a pair of oxen. On inquiry, he proved to be a parishioner of yours, my dear Mr. R., many years ago, at Lisnadill. He asked about you most affectionately, and was delighted to see one of the name. We proceeded next day to Delaware, twenty miles, in the same conveyance, which was tolerably easy, having the seats slung from the sides, in lieu of springs, and covered with Buffalo skins, (which are called blankets,) very handsome, soft, and comfortable. The horses were excellent, and we were tempted to purchase the entire equipage, for 160 dollars. At Delaware we came up with our party; found them all in good health, and enjoyed, with them, an agreeable day. They went forward to Colonel Mount's, at Caradoc, the government agent for the western district, a most kind and attentive gentleman. We took up our abode at a farmer's, near Delaware, while our house was building; and passed six weeks there, very well accommodated, and abundantly supplied, on the most reasonable terms. For the whole family, (six in number, great and small,) we paid six dollars a week, and had a private sitting-room— never dining with the family of the house, which was thought very strange, nor suffering our servants to dine with us, which was considered still more extraordinary. This was a log-house, the first I had been in—very comfortably fitted up, and in some respects thought preferable to a frame-house, as being warmer in Winter, and cooler in Summer, from the greater thickness of the walls. The objectionable point is that, as the timber seasons, the logs settle, but not equably, by which the doors and windows are set awry. Nevertheless, I am quite content with ours, which is of black ash, a timber not so liable to shrink as maple and bass wood, of which they are generally constructed. The farmer's sons generally supplied the dinner tables—their own, with black squirrels—ours, with chickens, both shot by themselves. These, with bacon, venison, &c. constituted a plentiful larder. Most of the necessaries of life can be had for the trouble of providing them, and many of the luxuries at the cheapest rate. I preserved some wild plumbs with maple sugar, which was better than that we bought. We had water melons in great profusion; and, when one year settled, we can have what we please; it is indeed the country of abundance. For the lower classes, in every respect, it presents a most inviting scene of plenty and independence; whilst those who have been educated otherwise, cannot but feel the want of refinement, which generally prevails, and which it will require ages to correct; the palliative is to be sought in the manners and enjoyment of one's own domestic circle, nor need they much compassion, who like us, have been fortunate enough to settle with so many agreeable friends around us. Whilst in the farm-house, it was my amusement to study the manners of the people, which confirm the foregoing remarks. They call every one lazy that does not engage in some manual work—and their dialect and mode of expression are quite amusing—on asking one of the girls, whether the Indians were cross when they indulge in any excess. "Well," said she, (for they commence every sentence with this word.)—"They are pretty ugly." The mistress of the house, bringing in breakfast, says, "Well, I guess the tea looks black—but my husband thought it dreadful good." I asked her how we were to feed our cows in winter to make them give milk? "Well.—Slop your cows,"—and to "How am I to get them to come home from the wood?" "Well, salt your cows and they'll come home." "Is your dairy much under ground?"—"Well, considerable." This dialogue affords a specimen of the comfortable and affluent in this class—who received us as lodgers, at the urgent request of Col. Mount; not wishing to be put to any inconvenience, and at the same time not willing to decline the remuneration. On asking one of the daughters whether they "ever saw a clergyman or preacher?" she answered, "Well, preachers, once in a while; and then they sing so, really I am sometimes in roars of laughter at them."—There can be no stronger test of the deplorable want of clerical appointments, and Spiritual advice, in this new country, where my little baby, now nearly three months old, remains yet unbaptized—but all this I understand is to be speedily remedied. Every township is to have its own clergyman, and ours, one immediately. I have now only to recount the miseries of my day's journey from the farm-house to Adelaide—where our mansion not being perfectly ready, Dr. Phillips proposed that we should occupy his, which was sooner built. How any unfortunate female, carrying an infant in her arms, could have passed the tremendous road we were reduced to on this occasion, is almost miraculous. In my long journey from the coast, I had suffered many hardships in travelling, and many barbarous roads that I thought could not be exceeded in badness and danger; but all was smooth and agreeable, when compared with this last day. It did not happen so with our friends who went six weeks before us—but in that long interval the rain fell, and the floods had risen—and the road which they had travelled without much difficulty, being for us perfectly impassable, the woods were our only resource. Through these we had to cut our way—and to travel in a waggon drawn by one horse, the second being too spirited for the intricacy of the dangerous passes. We fortunately met upon the way one of Col. Mount's overseers, who sent a man with an axe to assist us. William, who had one of his own, went forward to clear the way, and our northern servant, Sandy, led the waggon. All this we could have borne, but for the innumerable creeks, or streams which crossed our way; and were it not for a party of men sent to our relief—we could never have compassed such repeated obstructions. They made themselves useful, indeed indispensably so, by cutting down trees, for temporary bridges, which we were to pass over in the best manner we were able—conceive, my dear Mr. R-, my walking over deep creeks, upon two long and small trees thrown across, which, however, with good assistance, I effected; but how the horses and waggon were made to manage it, I am unable to describe; certainly the horses here are wonderful animals—highly trained, and if you let them go ahead, they will bring you up heights that would amaze you—at one place, I shut my eyes and gave my self up as lost; this was a deep creek with very high banks on either side—our descent was so rapid as nearly to throw us forward on the horse, whilst the sudden rise at the opposite side was as likely to shoot us out behind the waggon; on opening my eyes, I perceived Wm. and his man in extreme terror lest we should fall back; but by encouraging the poor horse, he brought us up in safety. At another place we were obliged to cross one of those dangerous bridges on foot, and to walk a great distance. mounting over trunks of immense trees which lay across, whilst the waggon was sent through the wood, with twenty men to clear the way—after this, so great was my fatigue I passed over fallen trees of great size without leaving the waggon; and had I preferred doing so, the want of time would have prevented me. The day was closing fast, half an hour's delay would have doomed us to the forest for the night—fortunately we escaped this disagreeable alternative, and upon reaching the line of road, fancied all our difficulties over—alas! it was but fancy. The road was flooded, and full of mud-holes; the horse up to his haunches in water, and wretched Sandy walking through it all. So dark had it become, I passed my own house without being able to see it, and, a little further on, was hospitably received in that of Dr. Phillips. I can never be sufficiently thankful to a kind Providence, for protecting us through so many difficulties, and bringing us to the termination of our long and weary journey, without accident or suffering, except from excessive fatigue. Having given you a detail, which may appear sufficient to deter all female emigrants from so distant a settlement, it is but fair that I should explain how others may avoid the inconveniences which we experienced. This is to be done by emigrating at an early season, and by not wasting time when they land. They will then find the roads in passable order; and may have some provisions growing, and their houses comfortable, before the summer is past. We were too late all through, and feel the inconvenience of it. The Log-house we now inhabit, till our own is ready, was the first completed in the township;—if that can be called complete, which, on our arrival, consisted of but one room on the ground floor, and one in the upper story. The owner, in politeness to us, went up stairs,—that is, up the ladder, to sleep] !—leaving us a room 24 feet by 16, the full dimensions of the house, with our cooking stove, and its various appendages, at one end, and his own Franklin stove at the other. A partition was soon formed for my convenience, and very snug we felt ourselves; though, in the unfinished state of the edifice, we could see the light through many apertures. I conclude this letter from my own house, of which we took possession yesterday. It is considered the handsomest in the township; being 46 feet in front, and 16 feet deep, in the clear;—but when finished next spring, by an addition in the rere, will consist of parlour and drawing-room, 16 feet square, each; hall, kitchen, and five bed-chambers. The two stacks of chimnies, now of mud, but hereafter to be of brick, going up through the centre of the building, afford the means of warm presses, and commodious closets. The roof is formed on Cantalivers, very unexpensive here, which gives the whole a gay appearance. The entire cost, £50. This may be a good hint for some of our friends. We had a large and merry party at breakfast this morning. I enjoyed it, as the forerunner of an agreeable society, fast forming about us. And now that, according to promise, I have brought you fairly into the woods, and into our own Wood House, I will hand over the correspondence, for a little time, to our gentlemen, who can better inform you on more material points; though I do not profess myself wholly ignorant, either as to chopping, clearing, &c. &c. of which I have heard so much; but it may be more suitable to limit my talents to domestic purposes. Believe me, dear Mr. R. R. RADCLIFF. |
