| Title: | Advice to emigrants from John Creighton, Canada |
|---|---|
| ID | 751 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Creighton, John/14 |
| Year | 1843 |
| Sender | Creighton, John |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | businessman |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | unknown |
| Relationship | re emigration to Canada |
| Source | The Belfast News-Letter, Tuesday, October 10, 1843 |
| Archive | The Central Library, Belfast |
| Doc. No. | 302070 |
| Date | 10/10/1843 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 21:02:03. |
| Word Count | 2800 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | EMIGRATION TO CANADA. Character of the country, and prospects of emigrants. A great deal has been written and published on the subject of emigration to Canada, but additional information is requisite, and, accordingly, the following letter from a friend in Canada has been placed at our disposal by Mr. John Robb of Newtownards. It is dated from Kingston, Aug. 25 and contains a variety of detailed statements, which may be useful to the community at large. After a few lines of introduction, and in reference to the necessity of diffusing throughout this country correct information respecting the condition of Canada, the intelligent writer proceeds to say - I am the more inclined to do this, as I meet with frequent instances in which the most unaccountable ignorance is displaced by individuals at home,in speaking or writing about Canada. To prove my assertion, I will give you an instance. In the early part of the present year,when the question of admitting Canada corn into the United Kingdom free of duty was mooted,a correspondent of the London "Morning Post", in a communication to that paper on that subject stated, that produce, &c. passing from the Upper Lakes (Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior), to tide water, was subject to a land carriage round the Falls of Niagara, and also, occasionally round the Rapids of St.Lawrence. This was certainly something new to the people of Canada, who rejoice in the possession of the Welland Canal, connecting Lakes Eyrie and Ontario - the locks of which are sufficiently large to enable vessels navigating the lakes to pass through with a freight of 1,700 barrels of flour on board. As to the land carriage of freight passing down the St. Lawerence, such a thing was never heard of. The Rapids of the St.Lawrence "downwards", are navigable for vessels capable of carrying 1,300 barrels of flour.- These barges are towed up the Rideau Canal on the return voyage,laden with passengers, merchandize, &c.- During the present season, about a dozen small steamers have been put on this route as a substitute for the barges, and they have greatly expedited business. A new era has also commenced in the lake navigation. Sailing vessels are now furnished with a small steam engine, which propels by two screws at the stern of the boat-one on each side of the rudder. These have been found to answer the purpose very well, and in a few years I have no doubt will be very generally adopted. One of these steam-schooners made a trip this season from Chicago, head of Lake Michigan, to Montreal, passing the Canals and Rapids of the St. Lawrence, a distance of about 900 miles, without trans-shipment. Perhaps it may not be out of place to give you the demensions of the four Canadian Lakes,and also Lake Michigan, which falls into Lake Huron,although lying wholly within the United States:- Lake Superior,360 miles long, 144 miles broad, 80 to 150 fathoms deep, 1,500 miles in circumference. Lake Huron, 252 miles long, 144 miles do. broad, 60 to 100 fathoms deep, 1,020 miles in circumference. Lake Erie, 246 miles long. 63 do. broad, 13 to 17 fathoms deep, 540 miles in circumferance. Lake Ontario. 210 miles long, 60 do. broad, 60 to 90 fathoms deep, 480 miles in circumference. Lake Michigan, 351 miles long, 81 do. broad, 990 in circumferance. The outlet to all these island seas, and numberless smaller lakes, is the great river St. Lawrence. These lakes and their tributary streams, abound with various descriptions of excellent fish,and, in point of magnitude, are not equalled by any body of fresh water in the world. I may here remark, that the agriculturists of Great BRItain and Ireland need not fear competition with a young country like this whose staple commodity of export will be subject generally to an "inland" transport of 900 to 1,200 miles-heavy canal tolls, and a four shilling duty, as Canada has not a large quanity of "material" of the staff of life to export, in consequence of the annual influx of emigrants. As I anticapated , a considerable number of emigrants from the North of Ireland have arrived in Canada this season; and, although the whole number of emigrants arrived at the Port of Quebec falls far short of last year's arrivals, I do not think there has been much falling off from the North. It is worthy of remark, that, taken as a whole, the emigration to Canada this year has been a better class than formerly. This is gratifying. Comparatively few have remained in Kingston, no pains having been taken to settle them anywhere in the vicinity. Many have proceeded up the country to settle down in the neighbourhood of relatives, or friends who have preceeded them, and a few have gone to the United States. In consequence of the depression of trade alluded to in my last, emigrants of the poorer classes have, in many instances, found considerable difficulty in obtaining employment, or have been somewhat disappointed at what they consider a low rate of wages (two to three shillings per day for laborers.) In connection with this complaint, the low prices of all the necessaries of life should be taken into account; and, when the present prices of provisions and clothing are considered, I think it will be found that the mechanic and laborer are just as well off now as they were some three or four years ago, when wages were 25 per cent. higher. Emigration to Canada has been compared, and not inaptly, to matrimony. During the honeymoon everything appears couleur-de-rose to the newly-wed; the ardour of this stage over, the affections somewhat deaden for a time, until a community of feeling, during a series of years, drawn the bands of hymen so close, but nothing but death can separate them. So it is with the emigrant. When he first lands on our shores, there is a charm or novelty in the various scenes which present themselves to the eye, which tend to draw the mind from matters of more importance; but when the emigrant reaches his destination, many sufferings have to be endured - many difficulties to surmount-friends and relatives far distance-and is perhaps deprived of the consolations of a near neighbour. These difficulties are, however, in a few years overcome; and the man who, at the expiration of one year's residence in Canada, under the present system - a system in my opinion, susceptible to great improvement, and, although I have not given the subject much consideration, I will now offer a few suggestions, which, if acted on, would materially alleviate the sufferings of thousands who annually seek a home in this country. At present there are many persons who emigrate to Canada with considerable capital, anxious to invest it in land for the benefit of friends and families-and from the great difference that exists between uncleared and uncultivated farms, are generally induced to purchase the former. They will then erect a small log house to shelter them from the weather, and set about cutting down the trees, and clearing a few acres of the land-at which employment they make very slow progress for a time; the season by this time is far advanced, and if they succeed in getting in three or four acres of full grain, they may consider themselves very successful. In the meantime, and for nine months yet to come, the new settler will not be able to realize one penny's worth from his land-and will therefore, have to purchase every mouthful of victuals consumed during that time-and also meet several minor demands from his purse, which will be pretty well drained by the time his crops are ripe unless it is a very long one indeed. If he weathers the storm in the first year, he need have few fears for the those that are to follow - and here I will leave for the present, and turn to the far more numerous class of persons who annually migrate to this colony with out a sovereign in their pockets-some of them with large families, and many of them wholly unfitted by their education and previous habits to make any exertion for themselves. The latter generally make their way, through government aid to some canal or public work, where they find employment. The other portion though poor are possessed of energy, activity, and education, and generally seek employment in the country; and, after a few years industry and experience, they are enabled to purchase a piece of land for themselves -and I have known some of these class of persons do better than those who come here with £200 to £300 in their pockets. The latter are generally hard to please in a field where the field is so wide, and wander about from place to place, losing time, and spending their money very fast. I now revert to my proposition to point out a remedy for this evil. I will suppose that there are ten or dozen families in one neighbourhood, in any part of Great Britain or Ireland, who have decided upon emigrating to Canada-they have each £200 or so, with which they intend to purchase a farm, stock, implements or husbandry, &c. on there arrival here. I would recommend such persons to depute one of their number in whom they can place confidence, to come out to Canada, at least a year in advance of the same family; erect a small cottage on each lot; clear ten or twelve acres, and sow it with wheat or grass in the fall; clear three or four more acres in the winter, to be planted with potatoes and sown with oats in the spring, and, on the arrival of the several parties in midsummer, they will find a roof to shelter them, and the prospect of plenty to live upon, without going to market for every mouthful of food they require. Then, there is the great advantage of a number of acquaintances settling down in the same neighbourhood, where they can assist each other in cases of sickness, &c.; more easily and liberally provide for the support for the Minister of the Gospel, a schoolmaster or a physician. Such a settlement will afford considerable additional employment to the laboring class of emigrants alluded to, and aid in developing the resources and increasing the revenue of Canada by their industry and intelligence. You may tell me, that such persons that I have referred to, are not obliged to come to Canada-it is the poorer class that should emigrate. I reply, that unless there is a mixture, the system is not healthy-and I can confidently assert that numbers of the more wealthy class do come to this colony annually, but in consequence of the want of some such plan as I have alluded to, they have scattered over the face of the whole country, and their individual exertions are not attended to that success which would crown their efforts as a body. On the other hand, it is unreasonable to suppose, that so young a country as Canada, can annually receive into her bosom, and properly norish, at least 12,000 indigent persons, without considerable difficulty. Nevertheless such persons should not give way to despondency, as they will eventually very much improve their condition if they are inclined to work and husband their earnings. I will just cite one example to prove this. I have no doubt you will remember Mr Neilson, who lived with us in Ireland, who with his young wife emigrated to Canada about ten years ago. He arrived here with but a few shillings in his pocket-but with an honest heart, a strong heart and a willing mind; and after working in Kingston a few months, he and his wife went up to Coburg (a flourishing town about 100 miles above Kingston, lying on the shore of Lake Ontario) to see some friends living in that vicinity-and having found employment remained there. In four or five years this industrious pair had saved sufficient money to purchase 50 acres of uncleaned land within seven miles of the town. While on a little pleasure trip up the country this season, my mother and I called to see them, out of respect for an old and faithful servant, and I assure you we found them most comfortably situated in every respect. Thirty acres of excellent land under crop, all cleared and cultivated by his own hand, with a good house, several cows a yoke of oxen-and last though not least, a fine thriving family of six children. Compare this man's present condition to what it would have been at the present if he had remained in Ireland. His property and effects are well worth £250 to £300, without encumbrance of any kind, and the probability, is that if he had remained at home he would not have been worth half as many pence, with a very dull prospect before him. Men of his disposition and and temperate habits invariably succeed-if those of an opposite character, similiarly circumstanced should fail-I do not think it can be wondered at. There are thousands and tens of thousands of acres of land still lying uncultivated in blocks owned by the Government or individuals, which could be obtained very cheap -to be laid out as I have described. There are several considerations beside mere money matters, which should induce emigrants from the British Isles to give Canada the preference, and I am confident that in no Colony under the British Crown can they do better. In the first place, they should take into consideration the shortness and trifling expense of the voyage across the Atlantic to Quebec, and the facilities for inland travel which exist in this country. It is certainly a matter of some moment that we here in Canada can hold semi-monthly intercourse with our fatherland although 3,000 miles away- and enjoy the liberty and protection of British subjects, none daring to make us afraid. The justice of our laws and the stability of our institutions should not be overlooked. Compare the Banking institutions of Canada with those of our neighbours in the United States and what do we find? - why, that in the latter country they were all obliged to suspend specie payments for a long time, and fully one-half have suspended payment altogether. In Canada, our Banks have not only kept faith with the public, but have been enabled to pay 8 per cent. on their capital stock, and occasionally a large bonus besides. There is another class of persons whose attention I am anxious to draw to this country, namely Honorable Members of the Lords, and Commons, and Gentlemen who spend half the summer on the Continent in pursuit of pleasure and adventure. Perhaps a few of the former were to pay us a flying visit, they would not display so much indifference to this bright gem in the diadem of our Gracious Queen-at all events, they should not find us such a quarrelsome, discontented set of people, as the discussions in some of the Canadian newspapers would lead one to expect. The Royal Steamers make the trip between Liverpool and Halifax in 12 days-often less. -On their arrival there, conveyances present themselves in all directions. The tourist may either go east or west, in swift or commodious steamers-visit the Canadas and return through the United States. The falls of Niagara alone are worth the time and trouble of a voyage from England to all lovers of the grand and beautiful in Nature. I heard an old East Indian Captain say a few weeks ago, that a view of these Falls was worthy of a trip round the world. It is true, we are not altogether slighted-a stray Lord occasionally visits us, and the celebrated author of Oliver Twist has vouch-safed the same favour. The only benefit derived from his visit is the prohibition of all the American re-prints of British works coming into Canada-thereby compelling us to gormandize the republican trash of our neighbours-as we poor colonists cannot afford to pay a guinea for such a work as "Dicken's Notes." The British publishers should supply us with cheap editions of all new works, now that they have succeeded in gaining over the British Government to their scheme of prohibiting these works in the manner alluded to. We have no literature of our own in Canada, and I think it a hard case that we should be debarred of the privilege of profiting by that of Britain, merely for the purpose of gratifying the petty spleen of a few second rate novelists -as they will certainly derive no benefit from the measure in a pecuniary point of view. I have filled my sheet, and will draw this scrawl to a close - and believe me yours sincerely, John Creighton. Transcribed by Dympna Mc Geary |
